


Magnus Bane: Certified BAMF

by Aria_Lerendeair



Series: The Heirs of Hell Verse [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alec with Wings, Attack on Alicante, BAMF husbands, Clave BAMFing, Drama, Fight Scenes, Hurt/Comfort, Husbands, Immortal Husbands, Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV) Devil Reveal, M/M, Magnus being a badass, Prince of Hell Magnus Bane, Protective Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV), Sparring, Variety of Settings, Warlock!Alec, Wingfic, adorable husbands, bamf Magnus, battle husbands, bit of angst, pandemonium
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:40:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 34,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21720046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria_Lerendeair/pseuds/Aria_Lerendeair
Summary: Five different times that Magnus was a certified BAMF, and one time he went above and beyond (that everyone noticed).
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: The Heirs of Hell Verse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1816276
Comments: 404
Kudos: 1768





	1. Pandemonium

**Author's Note:**

> So I've wanted to write the equivalent of a character study of Magnus being a badass and here is that fic!

Alec was never going to be someone who enjoyed going to clubs, admittedly, but Pandemonium, and the controlled chaos that Magnus directed there was something he was starting to grow more and more used to. 

Especially since Magnus enjoyed showing off. 

Alec grinned as Magnus caught his eyes from where he was sitting at his throne among the couches. Not that Magnus would ever admit it, but it was a throne, allowing him to survey his domain. 

It reminded him of the first time he had met the warlock, how bright and untouchable he had been, his form drenched in magic, glitter and the promise of something intensely forbidden. It was no wonder he hadn’t been able to stay away. 

Alec grinned and sipped his drink again, tossing Magnus a wink before he headed towards the VIP area on the upper level. Magnus might enjoy being the center of attention, and sometimes it was best to leave him to it. He made his way through the crowds, giving quick nods to the warlocks and werewolves he recognized. 

A year ago, his presence would have caused fear and apprehension, but now, he received nothing more than nods and the occasional smile in return. It showed him just how far they had come. Alec relaxed fully and retreated into the corner of the VIP lounge that had become  _ his _ corner according to Magnus. That  _ did _ mean it was never taken, and he could come here whenever he was here, so he wasn’t about to complain. 

“You’re as bad as Magnus, surveying your domain.” 

Alec looked over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow at Simon, standing a few feet away. “His domain. Not mine.” 

Simon rolled his eyes. “Yet you’re here watching over him and the rest of the club like some avenging angel.” 

The description rankled, even if it was somewhat accurate. “Shouldn’t you be annoying someone else? My sister? Raphael?” 

“Izzy instructed me to come bring you down to the dance floor. I told her you’d never listen to me, of course, but then again, when do I refuse that woman anything and-“ 

Alec tuned Simon out a moment later, his attention was caught by trouble at the front door. Magnus had seen it too, standing up in a quick flourish. Alec spared a moment to glamour his runes before he moved past Simon, melting back into the crowd behind Magnus. 

His boyfriend was well-able to protect himself, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t provide some unseen backup, if only for his own peace of mind. 

Magnus stopped in front of two large, muscled men that were surveying the club with disdainful looks on their faces and Alec bit down a groan when he saw the runes on their necks. Of course. They weren’t from his team (his team knew to call he or Izzy regarding any connection to Pandemonium, for damn good reason), so this meant shadowhunters from another Institute were tracking a lead here. Or they were up to something else. 

Magnus raised both of his eyebrows. “ _ Shadowhunters _ ,” he drawled. “To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?” 

“Get out of our way warlock,” the taller of the two sneered. “We’ll be on our way soon enough.” 

Alec waited for a flash of the club lights to hide the photo he took, texting a picture of the two men to Underhill, including a demand for their identity cards and base Institute. 

“You aren’t moving one foot further into my establishment until you tell me who, and  _ what _ you are looking for,” Magnus said, glancing down at his nails. 

“We’re with the New York Institute, here on official Clave business. Now move,” the shorter one demanded. “Or we’ll make you.” 

Alec resisted the urge to step forward and give them men the dressing down they deserved, followed by a demand to speak to their superiors. Magnus could handle this, and he had no doubt that Magnus would happily turn them over to him after he was done. 

“Funny,” Magnus drawled. “You see, I know the head of the New York Institute  _ very _ well, and I know if there was anything he needed, he would come directly to me.” 

“Move, downworlder,” the tall one hissed, stepping forward. “We won’t ask again.” 

“If you insist.” Magnus rolled his eyes and twisted his fingers in a quick motion, immobilizing the two shadowhunters in front of him before stalking closer to them, watching their faces contort in anger. 

Alec fought down the urge to grin and leaned against a column nearby that let him keep to the shadows, watching Magnus at work. He did enjoy watching Magnus in his element, and here, like this, power singing around him? He was at his best. 

“Let us go!” 

Magnus hummed, stepping forward, pressing one finger under the chin of the shorter man. “I’ll consider it. Do tell me what brings you here. And none of those lies you attempted to feed me earlier.” 

They shared a look before glaring at the warlock again. The tall one cleared his throat and attempted to look contrite. “We’re tracking a hoard of Ravener demons. We traced their summoning here.” 

Alec snorted. They couldn’t even come up with a good lie? There hadn’t been any reports of Raveners since last week. If there was a group being tracked within his jurisdiction he would have known about it already, and alerted the downworld council. 

“Did you?” Magnus asked, his eyes widening in fake surprise. “Have you seen any fireworks here lately?” Both shadowhunters blinked at him. 

“If there was someone here summoning demons, believe me, most of us would feel it. Hell, there’d be fireworks going off. We don’t have any desire for shadowhunters to descend upon here than you do to come here,” Magnus drawled. “So, last chance. Tell me why you’re really here.” 

This time there was no answer. Magnus stepped closer to both of the shadowhunters and hummed in consideration, studying them, and the way they wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Let me see if I can guess,” he mused. 

“There’s nothing to guess!” 

Magnus’ eyes flashed dangerously, his glamour dropping, just to make them squirm more. “Isn’t there? Two shadowhunters, claiming to be from the local Institute? In a downworlder club, ready to cause issues?” He smirked and reached out to place a finger under the taller one’s chin, letting hot magic sparks dance around his fingers. “Not hard to figure out your plan there.” 

“Downworlder slut,” the shorter one growled. “You corrupted the head of the New York Institute. We’re here to-“ 

“Ah, ah,” Magnus whispered, waggling a finger, his eyes going dark and dangerous as his magic turned a roiling red in his anger. “Insult me all you like, but Alexander deserves none of your vitriol.” 

Alec took one step forward, his hands clenched at his sides as he stared at Magnus and the two Shadowhunters. They hadn’t seen him yet. But they would, as soon as Magnus was done with them. 

“He’s a foolish boy. Fell for your tricks.” 

Magnus hummed, tilting his head in consideration. “While I do consider my tricks and wiles rather impressive…” he let the words trail off before he blew open the front doors of the club, glad when the others who had noticed the confrontation got out of his way and tossed the shadowhunters through, following them to the doorway, leaning against the frame. “Trust me when I say that you could not be more wrong about Alexander Lightwood.” 

“You-“ 

“Fucking-“ 

Magnus rolled his eyes again, waving his fingers to steal their voices before he looked over his shoulder. “Your turn?” 

Alec stepped out of the shadows and up towards Magnus, leaning in to steal a quick kiss from him with a grin. “Done being a badass defending my honor?” 

Magnus gave a small bow. “Darling, I will always defend your honor.” He looked back towards the two shadowhunters and frowned. “Shall I wait for you to finish?” 

Alec kissed Magnus again, humming against his lips, grinning at the golden eyes that flashed at him a moment later. “Please do. I have to thank you properly for defending me, after all.” 

“I look forward to it,” Magnus purred. 

Alec turned back to the two men staring at him in shock. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the both of them. 

“Now, care to tell me what you’re doing here before I report it to the Clave  _ and _ your Institute Head?” 


	2. Magical Theory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus WAS the creator of the portal, after all...

Magnus sagged onto the couch with a grunt, dropping the book into his lap. His office chair in the apothecary was becoming uncomfortable, which meant he had been sitting in it for far, far too long. But that of course didn’t mean that he had time to stop. He flipped open the book to the page he had left off on and grumbled, scribbling another note into it. 

He should have never bothered creating the portal. No matter how endlessly useful it was, it was not worth the constant aggravation of having to explain the process of inventing new magic, which was a concept that some warlocks could simply not wrap their heads around. He blew out a hard breath and stood up, exhaling slowly, rolling magic between his fingertips.

Inventing magic and new spells not only required creativity, twisting and shaping magic in ways that hadn’t existed before, but it required a level of control that few warlocks bothered to master, even with eternity stretching ahead of them. 

Magnus focused in front of him. Imagine the destination was the basic concept of portalling, but it was so much more than that. You had to have a tether to the destination. A memory, a smell, a particular thing that caught your eye, something to anchor the magic to the location you were traveling to. He waved a hand, making another note in the book behind him. He picked his location, smiling faintly, the memory of Alexander’s kiss acting as his anchor. 

Now, once the anchor was set, you had to make the tunnel. Magnus waved an arm with a quick flourish, rolling magic across his skin. This step was the most difficult to master, but once you did, it became second nature. It was similar enough to summoning magic that Magnus had copied the theory, but he’d found a way to keep the path open, then stabilize it so you could walk along it afterward. 

“Avoiding thinking of distance,” he muttered to himself, waving his hand to take another note. “Focus on the anchor, then slowly pull the location to you,” he continued, the fabric of space twisting before it gave way to his demands, a portal swirling into slow existence. He grinned and studied it, his pen scribbling further in the book at the command of his magic, noting what it should look like. 

He stepped up to the portal, trailing his fingers along the edge of it. “Note, feeling,” he continued. “Portals should always have the essence of the anchor you used. You should be able to feel where they lead, if you look.” 

Magnus stepped through the portal, and rather than allowing the magic to move instantaneously, as was the design, he took slow steps, cataloguing the pull on his magic as he moved through it. By the time he stumbled in front of the familiar chain link fence covered in locks, he was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, but it was worth it when his eyes zeroed in on  _ their  _ lock. He smiled and took a deep breath. 

“If the place has changed, establish a new anchor for yourself if necessary,” he dictated, looking around. “Old anchors will continue to work, but as the world changes, it’s wise to always update your anchor of a place that is heavily trafficked.” Magnus paused and hummed, tapping his jaw before adding, “The pull from the portal should be short and instant, any residual drain means an incorrectly created tunnel.” 

He created a portal back to the loft in a quick wave, tapping his jaw as he paced across the room, glad that he could still hear the pen he’d enchanted taking his notes. “What else, what else, oh!” 

Magnus turned to the book and continued. “When transporting other creatures through the portal, remind them they will often feel a pinching sensation. No pain, but the folding of space time registers to them in a way that it does not for warlocks. Some creatures, and, notably, Nephilim,” he paused, smiling. “Will often experience nausea coming out of a portal. The feeling subsides almost immediately, but should be warned to prevent excessive glaring.” 

He stretched, rolling his shoulders as he made his way back over to the couch, flopping onto it beside the book. At least now it looked like he had actually done what the Spiral Labyrinth had asked of him. 

“Oh, a final note,” he added, grinning as he closed his eyes and leaned back against the couch. “Portalling services should trend to the higher end in pricing. While not difficult magic, holding a portal open for extended periods of time, or allowing for multiple people to go through, can be difficult, and clients are often unawares. Charge your time appropriately.” 

The scratching of the pen in the book was broken by a chuckle and Magnus spun around, his eyes widening at the sight of Alexander standing in the doorway of the living room, leaning against the frame. 

“How long have you been there?” 

Alec grinned and pushed himself off the frame, moving closer. “Long enough to hear you talking about transporting other creatures, as well as convincing every warlock to charge properly for the cost of creating them.” He raised an eyebrow and couldn’t help teasing. “Planning to teach all your disciples to fleece Shadowhunters, hm?” 

Magnus grinned back at him, unrepentant, reaching up to pull Alexander into a kiss. “Perhaps. But you can’t deny some of them deserve it.” 

Alec didn’t argue the point, opting to kiss his boyfriend again instead, sighing happily into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Magnus. 

Magnus hummed and leaned against Alec, before turning to look back at the book on the couch with a groan. “As often as I encourage you to eschew your duties in favor of spending more time with me, I have to finish what I’m working on.” 

Alec raised an eyebrow and followed Magnus’ gaze to the book. “Which is what, actually? I could tell you were taking notes, but I wasn’t sure why.” 

“Magical Theory,” Magnus grumbled, turning his attention back to Alexander. The deflect rune was enticing when this close, and he couldn’t resist pressing a kiss to it. “I’m one of the experts on the subject, and there is a truly distressing lack of material on how to think about magic in a way that allows new spells to be created. I was... _ asked _ …” he ignored the dubious look Alec gave him and continued. “To not only design a lecture to teach the subject, but to document examples of techniques or spells I have made so they can be studied by future generations of warlocks.” 

Alec blinked and turned his attention back to Magnus. “You’re one of the experts on the subject?” 

Magnus huffed and left the warm circle of Alec’s arms to pick up the book on the couch. “You don’t need to sound so surprised. I did invent the portal, remember?” 

“No, no, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that,” Alec said, flushing in embarrassment. “I more, I uh, I thought that’s what the Spiral Labyrinth did. I mean, I thought that’s what they’re  _ for _ .” 

Magnus brought the book over to Alexander, smiling at him. “It is what they’re for. They teach and offer up information for warlocks seeking it.” 

Alec’s eyes moved from the book to Magnus and widened in understanding. “And you’re helping to write the book.” 

Magnus grinned. “Yes. As much as I hate it, yes.” 

Alec took Magnus’ hand and brought him over to the couch, the both of them settling onto it, the book forgotten on the coffee table for a moment. “What don’t you like about it?” 

“It’s less that I don’t like it,” Magnus said, looking down at his fingertips, flexing them easily. “And more that this kind of magic is  _ felt _ more than anything. Trying to describe to someone who has never tapped into their powers in this way is very difficult.” 

Alec tilted his head and lifted Magnus’ hand, threading their fingers together. “Most warlocks aren’t that familiar with their power?” 

Magnus laughed and leaned back against the couch. “No, not at all. It requires decades of study and far more introspection than most warlocks will ever allow themselves to have. You’ve seen me manipulating magic as exercise?” 

Alec nodded, remembering the day he had found Magnus on the balcony after their first big fight. 

“The level of control required to be able to do that is sizeable. It’s a combination of finesse and access to sheer levels of power,” Magnus continued, leaning back against the couch, then tilting his head to rest on Alec’s shoulder. 

“How many warlocks do you think could teach something like this?” Alec asked, curious, looking down at how Magnus was yawning again and pressing in closer to him. 

Magnus hummed. “Not to toot my own horn, but maybe five.” 

Alec’s eyes widened and he stared down at Magnus. “Five? Five warlocks in the entire world could teach what you’re documenting?” 

“Yeah, and unfortunately except for…” Magnus yawned again, and let his eyes fall shut. “Except for Oberon, they’re all boring and have no imagination. Creating new magic requires imagination.” 

Alec smiled and turned his head to press a kiss to Magnus’ forehead. “You’re amazing, you know that?” 

Magnus hummed and grinned. “Oh, I know.” 

Alec snorted and tugged Magnus a little closer to him. “Rest. I’ll wake you in a few hours to finish your project.” 

Magnus’ answer was a quiet snore against his shoulder and Alec held him close. 


	3. Sparring (Magnus Knocks Jace on his Ass....Twice)

Magnus did love when he finished early with a client and he was able to drop in unexpectedly to the Institute. He could usually pull Alexander away for a few minutes at the least to say hello and grab coffee, if nothing else. However, he found Alec's office empty and nothing more than a skeleton crew in place at Ops. 

Magnus frowned. He hadn't heard of any major demonic activity in the last few hours, but he had been in Argentina for a few of them, so he could have missed an alert that came through. He headed for Underhill's desk and stopped by it, waiting for him to finish with his phone call. 

"Magnus! Is everything all right?" Underhill asked, looking up at him. 

"Is there some sort of alert going on? There's not many people around," Magnus said, waving a hand at the lack of obvious activity. 

Underhill grinned. "It's Thursday." 

Magnus blinked and tilted his head. "I...am aware. Is there something special about Thursdays?" 

"Head to training room three. You'll find most of the Institute there," Underhill said, gesturing with his chin. "Including your husband." 

Magnus gave him a smile. "Thank you!" He turned and headed for the training rooms, opening the door, only to step immediately into a crowd. He blinked in surprise at the sound of clashing swords and snuck around the crowd until he'd reached the other side of the training room. Once he had a clear view of what was happening, he knew exactly why the Institute was empty. 

Alec and Jace were sparring, wide grins on their faces, dancing around each other like they had been born to do it, their blades clashing between them. Every few minutes they'd stop and turn to the group of children in the middle of the room and answer some of the questions, occasionally demonstrating a particular exchange again. 

Magnus leaned against one of the pillars and watched, unable to keep from grinning as the boys continued the class they were teaching. He might have to give up his coffee time with Alexander, but it was going to be worth it. A young girl raising her hand caught his attention and he watched Alec turn to her. 

"Excuse me Mr. Lightwood-Bane, but, um, who is the better fighter? You, or your parabatai?" 

Alec glanced over at Jace, raising an eyebrow. "Well, Jace will tell you it's him." 

"Of course I would," Jace said, smirking at him. 

Alec turned back to the young girl. "But the best person I've ever fought in hand to hand combat is actually my husband." 

Jace blinked and turned to Alec. "What?  _ Seriously _ ?" 

Alec snorted and turned to him. "Yeah, that's what happens when you have a few hundred years of experience under your belt." 

"You just got distracted," Jace scoffed, rolling his eyes. 

"Care for a demonstration, then?" Magnus called, watching both of them turn to look at him. He waved and gave a wink. 

Alec laughed and stepped closer to Magnus. "Oh I am going to look forward to this," he said, stealing a quick kiss from Magnus before turning to Jace. "Want to put your money where your mouth is?" 

Jace rolled his eyes and headed over to the weapons rack. 

"We can fight with swords," Magnus called. "I'll dull them so we won't do more than bruise." 

Jace paused and looked over to Alec who only gave him a smile and gestured him forward. "You're going to regret that." 

"We'll see," Magnus said, looking down at himself with a hum. With a quick snap he changed his outfit into one more fitting for the training room and heard a few of the younger children gasp when they realized that he was a warlock. He bowed to them all, making a few giggle. 

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you. My name is Magnus Lightwood-Bane." 

The girl leaned forward, her eyes wide. "Can you really beat him in combat?" 

"We'll see," Magnus said, giving her a wink. 

Jace rolled his eyes and the swords in both of his hands, watching as Alec approached with two to offer Magnus. The adamas immediately flared red and he stepped closer to Magnus, adrenaline and excitement running through his veins. "No magic?" 

"Do you have runes active?" Magnus asked, cracking his neck, settling into a crouch to stretch his legs properly. 

"Yeah," Jace said, looking down at his arms. 

Magnus nodded and stood up, stretching his arms over his head. "No overt magic use, just enough to offset the power they give you. I don't feel like shattering the bones in my hand the first time I parry you because of your strength rune." 

Jace snorted and grinned. "Sounds good. Let's see what you've got." 

Magnus stepped to the center of the room and his eyes found Alexander's, standing closer to the younger kids, pointing out the difference in their styles. When Jace finally got tired of waiting, he advanced and Magnus spun, blocking the attack with ease, using the momentum to send Jace a few paces past him. Jace looked at him in surprise and Magnus raised his eyebrows. 

This time, Jace didn't hold back, and Magnus grinned, bright and wide as Jace charged, swinging both swords at once. Magnus laughed, his eyes lighting up as he ducked under one of the swings, jamming his knee into Jace's thigh, blocking a sword from sinking into his arm. 

Jace grunted and glared. "That's going to bruise." 

"Sorry, I'll make sure you bleed next time," Magnus teased, letting himself be pushed back, ending in a small spin on the balls of his feet. 

Jace huffed out a laugh and waited, settling back on his feet, studying the way Magnus moved as he approached. 

"You ready?" Magnus teased, raising his eyebrows, rolling the swords in his hands again. 

"I'm not playing by any rules, old man," Jace said, smirking at Magnus. 

Magnus narrowed his eyes and charged, staying in low to get under Jace's guard, forcing him to dance back. He kept up the assault, pushing Jace defensive, changing his attack pattern up, ducking under the counters Jace threw to attempt to force him backward. When Jace managed to stop his sword, only inches from his face, Magnus smirked. "Sure you can keep up,  _ boy _ ?" 

Jace shoved Magnus backward, watching him fall, only to turn it into a graceful roll onto his feet again. "You're better than I thought you'd be." 

Magnus inclined his head at the compliment, smiling at Jace, watching as the shadowhunter stalked around him in a slow circle. He counted Jace's footsteps. Jace always had a tell, and there it was. Brief pause, two more steps and  _ in _ . 

Magnus ducked under the sweeping blow that came from his right side, dropped down to his knees and swept his leg through both of Jace's, sending him crashing to the ground with a surprised grunt. Behind him, he heard the young shadowhunters shouting in surprise. He grinned and offered his hand to Jace. "Shouldn't be so predictable," he teased. 

Jace smirked. "I'll show you predictable." He yanked on Magnus' hand and kicked, tossing the warlock up and over his head, sending him crashing to the ground behind him, the swords skittering away from him on the ground. 

Magnus rolled onto his knees and narrowed his eyes at Jace. "Oh, is that how it is?" he asked, licking his lips. "Well then, Jace, it's on." 

Jace smirked, wiping his mouth as Magnus circled him, the both of them leaving the swords on the ground now. "First to a pin?" he offered. 

Magnus spun in a slow circle, considering the offer, pretending to glance towards Alec. Jace, who had seemed to be waiting for that, dashed towards him the second his eyes were on Alexander, his arm pulled back for a swing. 

Magnus shifted his hips and lifted one hand up, catching the punch meant for his face, every muscle in his arm and back rippling with the effort. If he hadn't augmented himself with magic, it certainly would have shattered his hand. He gave Jace a shove, pushing him a few feet back and grinned. 

"Now  _ that _ ," Jace said, nodding. "That was impressive." 

Magnus winked at Jace and blew him a kiss. "Why thank you, darling. Now, if you'd be so kind as to continue to telegraph all of your movements I am sure I can make quick work of you," he added, hearing Alec snort behind him. 

Jace laughed, nodding again, walking around Magnus in a circle. "We'll see who makes quick work of who." 

"Watch how Magnus moves. You can see that he's constantly twisting his body and staying on the balls of his feet, this allows him to react quickly, in almost any direction as he moves," Alec said, watching as Magnus and Jace continued to circle each other, both of them being more cautious as they got closer. 

Alec watched as his parabatai stopped and threw a kick out at Magnus, and the slight flare of surprise in Magnus' eyes, because Jace didn't normally attack with his legs, preferring a different approach. Magnus managed to dodge it though, and Jace left himself off-kilter enough for Magnus to land two quick punches to Jace's chest, knocking him back. 

Magnus whistled and lifted his hands behind his head, staring at Jace, crossing his legs in front of one another. "That was smart. Almost caught me." 

"You're not the only one who can be unpredictable," Jace grumbled, advancing on Magnus again. Standing like he was, Jace had no doubt that he had something up his sleeve, but he also couldn't let Magnus stay like that the whole time. 

Magnus sank down into a crouch the second Jace stepped closer and smirked up at him from where he was positioned. "Yes, but I don't know if it's enough to help you win." He grabbed Jace's leg when Jace kicked out at him, standing in a flourish, flipping Jace over entirely in the air with a grunt, watching him land face down. 

Magnus moved quick, grabbing Jace's arms, wrenching them behind his back, keeping him pinned to the floor, panting hard. "That hurt the hell out of my legs, just for the record," he muttered. 

"Glad to know you're in at least a little pain," Jace grumbled tapping the floor, relaxing when Magnus was immediately off of him, his hands free. He pushed himself to his feet and found Magnus grinning at him. He shook his head. "I've never seen some of those fighting styles that you used." 

"That's because they no longer are taught," Magnus said, smiling sadly. "There's a few disciples like myself out there, but none of us are interested in teaching it to others." 

"You sure about that?" Alec called. "I'd certainly love to have all of us learn." 

Magnus turned to Alexander and tilted his head, watching him gesture to the younger generation of shadowhunters behind him. He softened and smiled. "I'm not about to start a school for it, but I'm sure I could be persuaded to join you at some point for a training session or two." Many of the kids were staring at him in surprise and awe and he winked at them. One small step further in helping them to be afraid of warlocks less. 

“Persuaded,” Jace said, giving the kids finger quotes. “That’s our cue to head back to class while we leave the two lovebirds alone.” 

“Can we see you spar with your husband next time, Mr. Lightwood-Bane?” 

Jace snickered and shook his head, looking down at Emily. “Believe me, you are not near old enough for that particular show.” 

Alec glared at his parabatai. “Jace!” 

Magnus hid a smile behind his hand and leaned against Alec’s arm, exhaling hard as he watched Jace leave with the kids. “He won’t be too mad, will he?” 

“Oh, he’s so pissed,” Alec said, his voice bordering on gleeful. “Not angry, but you got the drop on him, twice. Expect to be challenged in a week.” 

Magnus huffed out a laugh and sauntered around in front of Alec and raised his eyebrows. “Sure I can’t convince you to spar with me, Alexander?” 

Alec glanced behind him at the empty room and grinned. “Maybe a little,” he agreed, heading for the weapons rack. 

  
  



	4. Ley Lines (The Fixing of Them and Budget Concerns) - Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter kinda...exploded....and needed to be split into two parts!

Alec hummed as he submitted his budget report for the past month and sighed, staring at the figure. But, there was nothing to be done for it. It had been a requirement in order to purge the corruption of the ley lines and Magnus had already been muttering about undercharging them. 

(That had, of course, prompted Alec to add an extra 30% to the figure Magnus had given him, but Magnus didn't know that and Alec didn't plan on telling him until it was approved.) 

He raised his eyebrows when the report received an immediate response. He scowled when he opened it and saw what had come through. No one had even bothered to review it, it had been an automatic response. Taking a deep breath, he submitted it again, only to have it kicked back once more. 

He glanced at the clock and picked up the phone, staring at the ceiling, dreading the conversation he was about to have, and with who. This wasn't something that he'd wanted to do, especially considering-

"I was expecting your call, Alec."

Alec leaned back in his office chair and stared at the ceiling. "I'm sure that you were. Care to tell me why my budget report is being denied without being even looked at?" 

"You're more than double your estimated expenses," Robert sneered. "Most of which is warlock work. The Clave is not going to pay so you can keep your boyfriend in that art he likes." 

Alec sucked in an offended breath and glared at his phone, his mind reeling that he had just heard those words come from his father. "Excuse me? Because of what Magnus did, we were able to purge the corruption of our ley lines being done by a greater demon! It was a necessity!" 

"A necessity that put your entire Institute at risk," Robert snarled. "We taught you better than that. Besides, I have no doubt that he has exorbitantly overcharged you. Any other warlock could have performed the same work and would likely have been a fraction of the cost." Robert paused. "He's taking advantage of you, Alec." 

Alec exhaled and tightened his hand on the edge of the desk, feeling the wood creak under his fingers. "You think that any warlock could have done what he did?" 

"I don't think, I  **know** . I've been working with warlocks much longer than you have, Alec. They lie." 

Alec sat back in his chair and considered how to approach this. "If I can prove that Magnus' quote is not only accurate for the work that he performed, and that no local warlock would have been a cheaper option, will you pay it?" 

His father scoffed. "A waste of your time." 

"If I can prove it," Alec said, keeping his voice firm. "You will authorize Magnus to be paid in full. If even one warlock in the area that I ask disagrees and quotes me lower, I'll erase it from my report and it'll be a free service." 

There was a quiet moment of consideration over the phone and Alec smirked, well aware that his father couldn't afford to turn down a deal that he thought he was going to win. He waited, not adding anything. 

"Very well. I expect signed attestations from at least five different warlocks. Including two High Warlocks, at minimum." 

Alec exhaled and nodded into the phone. "Very well. I'll have that to you by the end of the week." 

"You're making a mistake with this, Alec," Robert cautioned. "Don't make yourself look more biased than you already do towards-" 

" _Goodbye_ ," Alec growled, hanging up the phone, exhaling hard afterwards, glad that he hadn't been on the phone a minute longer with his father. He pushed his fingers through his hair and didn't hear the opening of a portal until Magnus was standing almost directly in front of him. He jolted to attention and smiled. "Oh, Magnus!" 

Magnus raised an eyebrow. "Are you all right, Alexander? I normally come to pick you up around this time. Am I early?" he glanced towards the clock. 

Alec shook his head. "No, no, you're perfectly on time. I am just dealing with a truly unfortunate situation, and it's going to require some legwork from me, and maybe even some help from you." 

Magnus raised both eyebrows at that and studied Alec. "Really now? Well, color me intrigued, I'd love to hear more." 

Alec gestured to the chair in front of him and took a deep breath. "The Clave denied my budget submission." 

Magnus scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I'm astonished," he drawled, eyeing Alec. "What are you going to do about it?" 

"First," Alec said, pointing at Magnus. "Stop undercharging us. I don't care if you and I are dating. I increased your price by 30%." 

Magnus blinked and stared at Alec. "You what?" 

"Secondly," Alec said. "I got my father to agree to approving the budget on one condition. That I can have other warlocks sign off on the fact that they could not do what you did, and that their charges for it would be more than what we are paying for you,  _ if _ they charge it at all." 

Magnus snorted and looked up at Alexander. "You know that there aren't any warlocks on the eastern seaboard who could do what I did that night?" 

"Oh, I'm well aware," Alec said, clearing his throat. "However, right now, this is the best way to get you paid, so that is what I am going to do." 

Magnus smiled at his boyfriend and pushed himself to his feet, stepping behind the desk to reach out to rub at Alec's shoulders. "You don't have to fight for me on this if you don't want to, love." 

"As happy as I am to help pad your wallet at the expense of the Clave, no matter what my father says, this is about more than just you," Alec said, leaning back into Magnus' hands. "They cannot expect you to simply not charge us for work that you performed simply because we gave you the privilege. I want to see them pay you." 

Magnus smiled, leaning down to kiss the back of Alec's head. "You are a good man, Alexander." 

Alec relaxed and looked up at him. "I need you to tell me what warlocks to go to, that would be willing to talk to me. And could, feasibly, be considered for work like this. Two High Warlocks." 

Magnus hummed and considered that for a long moment. "All right. I can help with that. This'll be interesting." He winced. "Ignore whatever it is that they say about me, all right?" 

Alec raised both of his eyebrows and looked at Magnus. "Oh?" 

Magnus shrugged. "There's plenty of stories I haven't told you yet." 

Alec laughed and shook his head, pushing himself upright before taking Magnus' hand. "That's something for tomorrow then. Tonight, I want to go home and relax with you." 

"Sounds heavenly, Alexander," Magnus said, summoning a portal for them. 

Alec followed through it, his mind already racing with how he was going to approach five very different warlocks. 

~!~ 

Alec looked at the list of names and addresses. There were also some interesting notes from Magnus and he couldn't help smiling at the sight of them. 

_ Alannia - Likes me, most times. Doing this as a favor.  _

_ Alice - High Warlock of Queens. Do not make puns in front of her. You will have an unpleasant rash for a week.  _

_ Oberon - Ignore whatever he says about me.  _

_ Matthew - Nicest of the bunch. Maybe go here first.  _

_ Lucio - High Warlock of Manhattan. He might like you. Might hate you. Will definitely flirt with you.  _

He had taken Magnus' advice and was visiting Matthew first, hoping that if word got around about him asking about this, he'd be able to put a positive spin on it first. He knocked on the front door of the apartment and waited, staring up at the tall doors. 

"Who is it?"

He cleared his throat. "Alec Lightwood? I contacted you earlier today?" 

"Ah, yes, the  _ shadowhunter _ , come to request help. Come in, come in," Matthew called, waving to the door. 

Alec stepped into the room and blinked, taking a brief moment to take in the absolute explosion of neon color that he was being assaulted with. He took a deep breath and found the young man wearing all black sitting in a hot pink recliner, sipping a tall drink that was brighter than the table behind him. 

"Not a single derisive remark about my decor? I'm impressed, you have more restraint than most shadowhunters," Matthew said, snapping his fingers. 

Alec relaxed the second the room went back to normal coloring and he smiled, glancing around briefly. It was similar to Magnus' loft in some ways, especially in the open layout. 

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me on short notice, I appreciate it," Alec said. 

"I have to confess, I was very intrigued by the information that you sent over, especially as regards the ley lines," Matthew said, sipping the drink that hadn't changed color. 

"Right," Alec said, clearing his throat. "The ley lines have been fixed, as you obviously know, since there's no more demonic corruption going through them." 

Matthew nodded. "I am aware." 

Alec took a deep breath. "What you might not be aware of is how we did it. A warlock was able to form a connection between the angelic core of the Institute and the ley lines. We overloaded the core-" 

"And wiped out the corruption," Matthew said with a low whistle. "Ballsy. I approve. But it sounds like you fixed your problem. So how can I help?" 

Alec gave a faint smile. "There are some...concerns with the price that that warlock has asked for, for their services rendered. While I am well aware they are fair, I have been asked to..." he waved a hand and winced, knowing there wasn't really an easy way to say what he was doing. 

Matthew laughed, taking another sip of his drink. "The Clave asked you to price shop?" 

"Essentially, yes," Alec said, clearing his throat. "So I am here to ask what you would charge for the service, as well as if you were actually capable of performing the task." 

Matthew tilted his head and studied the shadowhunter in front of him before he smiled. "Ah, so that's your game." 

Alec frowned. "I'm not playing a game, I assure you, I'm just trying to get a warlock paid properly." 

"But you already know the answers to your questions, don't you?" Matthew asked, narrowing his eyes. "Interesting." 

"The question does still stand," Alec offered, looking at him. "Would you be able to do it?" 

Matthew took another long sip of his drink. "Establish a connection over 600 yards long, and keep that connection open while the power of an overloaded Angelic Core flooded through it? Never in a million years would I have that kind of control and power." 

Alec blinked and then smiled. He pulled a piece of paper out of the folder that he was carrying and offered it to Matthew. “Would you mind signing this to confirm what you just said to me? Obviously I cannot be taken at my word due to my, ah…” 

“Your relationship?” Matthew offered with a chuckle. He summoned a pen and signed with a flourish, offering the paper back to the Lightwood boy. 

Alec hesitated, he hadn’t wanted this to be about telling everyone who had really fixed the ley lines, but Matthew would know if he was lying. “Yes,” he answered, taking the piece of paper back, tucking it away into the folder. “I doubt that you’ll be contacted regarding the veracity of your signature, but be aware that you may be.” 

Matthew smiled and this time it was a little more dangerous. “I understand. Be on your way, now.” 

Alec knew a dismissal when he received one and gave Matthew a nod. “Thank you,” he said, heading for the door. He stepped out of it and was glad that the door shut behind him. He took a deep breath and looked at the list of addresses. One down, four to go. 

~!~

The next closest was also, admittedly, the visit that Alec was most worried about. He’d never done well being faced with Magnus’ constant and blatant flirting, and he was sure that it’d be the same for Lucio’s. 

Paging up to the penthouse suite from the lobby had Alec rolling his eyes, but he was well-aware that warlocks were nothing if not dramatic. Thankfully, Lucio didn't keep him waiting long and Alec headed for the elevator that was clearly glamoured for residents of the shadow world. 

He felt magic wash over him and shuddered a little under the weight of the wards. They felt much heavier than Magnus' did and didn't release him as he walked closer, the weight was still there on his shoulders as he approached the door, knocking on it. 

"Enter~" A dramatic voice called. 

Alec opened the door and found himself almost immediately face to face with a warlock his height and blinked in surprise. "Ah, hello. I'm Alec Lightwood, we-" 

"Yes, yes, everyone in the downworld knows precisely who you are," Lucio said, narrowing his eyes. "The great shadowhunter who somehow managed to tame Magnus Bane." 

Alec couldn't help a small snort escaping him. _Tamed_? Is that what all the other warlocks in New York thought? 

Lucio raised both of his eyebrows. "Is something funny, shadowhunter?" 

"There is no world in which I would ever consider Magnus tamed," Alec shot back, a hint of a smile hovering on his lips. "But that isn't why I am here today and you are well aware of that." 

"So I am," Lucio said, watching the boy carefully as he moved into the room. He gave the room a cursory look and rolled his shoulders, clearly feeling the weight of the wards he had in place. "Your letter was rather vague, I confess. Are you ready to share all of the dirty details?" he asked, smirking. 

Alec met Lucio's gaze straight on and ignored the way the High Warlock looked slowly up and down his body before returning to his eyes. Flirting it was then. 

"I need to know what you would charge for a particular task," Alec said, keeping his eyes on the other warlock. "It is extensive, and requires a great deal of power and control, so you can understand why I would need to go to a High Warlock like yourself." 

Lucio hummed and focused on the boy in front of him. "That isn't the full story is it? I don't like the idea of shadowhunters keeping secrets from me." 

Alec considered the warlock in front of him. "You are not wrong, there is more to the story." But he also didn't know if he could trust Lucio, and the last thing he wanted to do was cause fission in the warlock community. "However, those details are not required for the information I need from you." 

Considering that, Lucio looked down at his glass. "So tell me, shadowhunter, why should I help you with this?" 

Alec raised both of his eyebrows. "Other than payment?" 

"Are you offering payment?" Lucio asked, a considering glint in his eyes. 

"I am," Alec agreed. "Whatever your hourly rate is for this consultation. Doubled." 

"Well, well," Lucio said, spinning on the balls of his feet, sauntering towards the shadowhunter. "Someone is feeling rather _generous_ this evening." 

"I believe in paying warlocks fairly for their work and their time," Alec said, meeting Lucio's eyes, watching them flicker and the other warlock tilt his head. 

Lucio snapped up a pen and tapped it against his jaw. "You are an interesting shadowhunter indeed, Alec Lightwood. Very well, what is your task you have to ask of me?" 

Alec took a deep breath and stepped forward. 

~!~ 

Ten minutes, more innuendo than he had ever wanted to deal with, and one signed piece of paper agreeing that the request was beyond the skill level of even someone pushing their seventh century, Alec was on his way down the magicked elevator. 

Once he was out of range of the wards, his phone pinged and he saw the message from Magnus asking how things were going. He sent Magnus a quick note confirming that two out of five had signed the documentation and he was on his way to Oberon's house now. 

Magnus didn't respond, but that could have been for a variety of reasons, so Alec shoved his phone back in his pocket and took a deep breath. He could play these games with the best of them, but that didn't mean he didn't find them absolutely exhausting. 

Thankfully, the route to the outer burrows, near Queens, was a long one and Alec had time to relax, answer a few of his emails and a text from Izzy before he was waiting outside the door of what looked like a mansion. He stared up at it and squared his shoulders, pushing on the buzzer by the door. 

  
  



	5. Ley Lines (The Fixing of Them and Budget Concerns) - Part Two

"Oh, are  _ you _ Magnus' paramour? He didn't tell me you were a tall glass of water on a hot day! _Goodness_ , I would have dressed up properly for you!" 

Alec blinked and stared at the intercom and then looked up at the camera. "E-excuse me?" 

"And those  _ eyes _ ..." the voice sighed. "Magnus does have all the luck. Come in, come in, I might as well appreciate those eyes up close and personal while we discuss business!" 

The gates immediately swung open and Alec looked from the intercom to the entrance and decided that he needed to approach, because he was never going to get the signed attestation if he didn't. He resisted the urge to dig his phone out and ask Magnus who the hell he was about to meet. 

"So you are the infamous Alexander Lightwood!" A tall, dark-skinned man called from the front porch. 

Alec saw his warlock mark right away and straightened his spine. Two horns, curling gently against his hair, bedecked with chains of silver. If his understanding of how some indicators of age with warlocks worked, Oberon was  _ old _ . Very old. 

"I am indeed," Alec offered a smile and his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you." 

"Darling, please trust me when I say the pleasure is  _ entirely _ mine," Oberon said, giving his hand a firm shake before he paused and grinned, looking down at their hands. "Proportional, are you? Magnus always was a bit of a size queen." 

Alec choked and barely managed to turn it into a cough, following Oberon into the mansion, well-aware that his cheeks were flaming red. "I, uh, as you know from my letter-" 

"Yes, yes, we'll get to that. I want to know more about  _ you _ , Alec. I never thought I'd see Magnus settle down, especially after all of his nonsense in Peru - do you have any idea how hard it is to get completely banned from a country?" Oberon asked, leading the way to his front sitting room. 

Alec blinked and followed him. "I, he's banned from Peru? Why?" 

Oberon turned and winked one dark brown eye at him. "Ask his friend Catarina Loss to tell you the story someday. She'll enjoy the chance to embarrass him in front of you." 

"I, I'll see what I can do," Alec managed to say. He coughed and tried to focus. "I can assure you though, I'm not that interesting-" 

"No?" Oberon said, pausing in the middle of the room. "Oh I beg to differ. I've been around more than a millennia, and trust me, you are the most fascinating thing to happen to Shadowhunter culture in the last century." 

Alec blinked and took a second to digest that. "Hopefully in a good way?" he offered, rubbing the back of his head. 

"Oh of course!" Oberon called, snapping a drink into his hands. "Would you like anything to drink?" 

"No, thank you," Alec declined. He had a feeling that he was going to need all of his wits about him. 

"We all thought Magnus mad, of course, when we heard about him going to your wedding," Oberon said with a wave of his hand. "Dalliances with shadowhunters are near common now, but a public gesture of that magnitude? It was quite the gossip piece for months." 

Alec coughed and felt his cheeks start to turn red again, resisting the urge to groan. "I assure you, it's still considered gossip to this day." 

Oberon laughed, loud and joyfully. "Of course it is my dear boy! You have both found your happily ever after in each other! Anyone can see it in the both of you when you're around each other. You did put it rather blatantly on display for all of us!" 

"We did?" Alec asked, casting his mind around for when they would have done something like that. 

Oberon took another sip of his glass. "The party, of course. You couldn't read Magnus' magic that he was able to wield to destroy that portal, but  _ we _ all could." 

Alec blinked. "Was there something different about it?" 

An indulgent smile crossed Oberon's lips. "What color was Magnus' magic?" 

"White," Alec said immediately. The moment where Magnus had stepped in front of him to dispel the portal had been terrifying, especially in the aftermath when he'd realized how many other warlocks had not had control of their powers in the moment. 

"Now, you may or may not know this, or have not guessed, but our magic often changes color in response to our emotions," Oberon said, studying his fingernails and the multitude of rings on his fingers before glancing at the boy in front of him. 

"I, uh, did, know that," Alec offered up. He'd been aware of it, but hadn't known what some of the colors meant, or why they show up. 

Oberon hummed and sipped his drink. "White is a very rare color. In more than a millennia of life, I've never seen it wielded so easily, and with such determination." 

"What, what do you mean?" Alec asked. 

"Every single inch of him, his entire being, all of his magical power was focused on one task, and one task only. Protecting  _ you _ ," Oberon explained. "Magnus brought the entirety of his magical abilities, his control, and his power to bear in that moment, to protect you and little Madzie." 

Alec's breath caught and he stared at the other warlock. He bit down the urge to ask if he was sure, because of course he was. He wouldn't make a statement like that without certainty. 

Oberon chuckled. "If I had to hazard a guess, a similar color was used to establish the link to the ley lines from the Institute?" 

Alec coughed, his eyes flying wide. "I, uh..." 

"Oh _please_ ," Oberon said with a wave. "For all that Lorenzo has attempted to take credit for it, those of us who know what was done and how, are well aware that he does not have remotely the power or control to have done that." 

Alec stared at Oberon and couldn't help a small smile. It was a bit of a relief to know that not everyone attributed the saving of the Institute to Lorenzo, even if it was only some of the warlocks who knew better. 

"Look at that smug and smitten smile on your face. I haven't seen someone so in love in decades," Oberon sighed happily. "You're both ridiculous, and I demand an invitation to the wedding." 

Alec snapped back to attention, his eyes going wide as he stared at Oberon. "W-Wedding?" 

Oberon waved a hand. "You'll get there eventually, I'm certain of it. If Magnus doesn't invite me, I'll tell you every dirty fact I know about him." 

"Magnus did say that I wasn't to listen to anything you said about him," Alec blurted and then cursed himself for letting that slip, especially with the  _ pure delight _ that appeared on Oberon's face. 

"That  _ boy _ !" Oberon said proudly. 

Alec sighed and pressed a hand to his face. "I shouldn't have said that." 

"Oh no, you absolutely _should_ have. Magnus is so adorable, wanting to protect you from his most raucous party years - do you know he once hosted a party for an entire decade?" 

Alec blinked, opened his mouth and considered that. "How the hell does that work?" 

Oberon winked at him. "You'll find out, don't worry. Give it a decade or two." 

"Anyways," Alec said, clearing his throat, watching Oberon smile,  _ again _ at him. "I wanted to know if you would give me your pricing for-" 

"Ten million dollars," Oberon said simply, watching in delight as Alexander Lightwood's eyes went wide in shock and surprise. Magnus had probably charged them a fraction of the actual cost of such a stunt. "And even then, I'm not quite certain I could have held it through the overloading of the core. Magnus' sire gives him that advantage, you know?" 

Alec snapped his mouth shut and considered exactly how he wanted to start unpacking all of that, because there was far too much and he could barely focus on it. "Your, ah, I mean, if you were to..." 

Oberon took pity on him and summoned a piece of parchment to his hand and a quill, an ink pot floating next to him in mid air. "Matthew, wonderful darling that he is, let me know that you would likely be knocking on my door. He finds it very admirable, what you are trying to do, of course." 

Alec flushed and looked down at the floor. "I want him to be paid appropriately for his work," he said, keeping his voice firm. 

"I know, and it shows your character to be of the highest quality," Oberon continued. "However, no one but the child of a greater demon, or Lilith herself could do what he did." He signed the paper with a flourish and offered it to the boy. "The angelic energy would have either destroyed or killed most warlocks." 

Alec sucked in a hard breath, Magnus' words from before echoing in his mind that no other warlock on the eastern seaboard could have done what he did. "That's why you know that Lorenzo couldn't have done it." 

Oberon winked at him. "Channeling angelic energies, especially in that style, is work that warlocks stay away from, for obvious reasons. The power runs counter to our own magic, and though over time we can learn ways around that..." he wiggled his fingers. "Few are willing to take the centuries to be able to do so." 

Alec took the paper from Oberon and tucked it into the folder that he was carrying. The enormity of what Magnus had done for them, without thinking, had successfully managed to do made his head spin. 

"Are you quite all right, Alec?" Oberon asked, tilting his head. 

"I," Alec swallowed and nodded. "I know that he's powerful," he started. "Even for warlocks, I know that he's powerful." 

"Ah," Oberon said, quieting. "But you did not know the extent, did you?" 

Alec shrugged helplessly. "It's not like you all have power meters that would help me to know what the differences are." 

Oberon barked out a surprised laugh, grinning at the boy again. "No indeed, and we would all hate that with a passion if we did, I assure you." 

"Right, so," Alec paused and looked at Oberon. "I don't know when he's doing something so...outside the realm of normal, versus..." 

"Like helping to purge the ley lines from demonic corruption that he suspected to be done at the hands of his father?" Oberon offered, meeting Alec's eyes when they met his, wide in shock. "Do I need to tell you there are very few warlocks in the world that could have done that?" 

Alec shook his head. "No, no you don't, and I know that, I promise I do, but I also don't know how to make sure those sacrifices are  _ worth _ it, I want to make sure he knows they're valued and his time and energy and effort isn't just spent because we  _ expect it _ and-" 

"My dear boy," Oberon said, stepping closer to rest a hand on Alexander Lightwood's shoulders. "Listen to me, and listen well." 

Alec sucked in a hard breath and stared at Oberon, giving him a nod. 

"Every few centuries, the power to change the world for the better, or for the worse, comes to bear," Oberon started, his voice soft and his eyes far away. "These powers come in the form of two individuals and how they feel about each other." 

Alec's eyes widened and he froze, staring at him. 

"I have seen horrible atrocities committed at the hands of this power," Oberon continued, his eyes meeting the wide ones of the shadowhunter in front of him. "And for the first time in hundreds of years, I am looking at that power being used for the best possible reasons, by two people who could not be more worthy of wielding it." 

"I, you can't mean..." Alec started, swallowing hard. 

Oberon smiled faintly and raised his eyebrows. "Would you walk into Edom to get him back?" 

"I, of course I would," Alec said, frowning. "I'd do it a hundred times over." 

"And do you not think that he, being who he is and how he feels about you, give up anything and everything to keep you and those you love safe?" Oberon asked. 

Alec swallowed, the reminder making him wince, even as he admitted the truth. "Yes." 

Oberon gave his arm a squeeze. "You will give anything and everything for each other. You will sacrifice, but in addition to that, you will force the rest of the world to bend to your vision of it." 

"That is a terrifying amount of power," Alec said, shaking his head. "I don't, I don't even know what to do with that." 

"Nothing more than you already have been doing!" Oberon said cheerfully. He tapped Alec on the chest, right above his heart. "Everything you need to know, and do, comes from right here, just as it does with Magnus. You will both change the world for the better, Alexander Lightwood, and I am excited to see how the world turns afterward." 

Alec's mouth was dry and he stared at Oberon, nodding. 

"Now, I think we've concluded our business, yes?" 

"Yes, yes, we have, thank you," Alec said, glancing down at the folder. "I won't take up any more of your time." 

Oberon smirked. "Any time you spend standing in my house is the antithesis of a waste of time. You are the finest piece of art here." 

Alec blinked and glanced at Oberon. "Do those pickup lines actually work?" 

This time Oberon gave a full belly laugh. "When the person I am using them on is not in a relationship with his soulmate? Yes, they usually do." 

Alec snorted and fought a smile. "Thank you, for your time. And everything that you said." 

Oberon nodded and walked past him, heading towards the front door. "A word of advice, young shadowhunter?" he offered, holding it open. 

Alec paused and looked at Oberon, raising his eyebrows. "Yes?" 

Oberon tapped him on the nose. "When you are ready to make the difficult decision, the one you fear, and that he fears more, come here first." 

Alec blinked. "I'm sorry?” 

"You'll understand at some point," Oberon said with a wave of his hand. "But promise me you will come here first." 

"I, I promise," Alec offered, watching Oberon's eyes flash bright blue before the man offered him a large smile and an even more exaggerated bow. 

"With that, then, young Lightwood, I must bid you adieu. I have treasured our meeting and you shall occupy my thoughts often!" Oberon teased, winking at Alec. 

Alec stepped away from the door and was surprised to hear it quickly shut behind him. Stepping through the gate, he looked back at the house and saw it shimmer, a glamour falling over it. His mind was spinning, racing with everything Oberon had said and more. There were a hundred more questions that he wanted to ask, but he had two other warlocks to meet. 

~!~ 

Alannia didn't live far from Queens and she was the next stop on the list. Alec rubbed the back of his head and rolled his shoulders. If he remembered right, he'd met an Alannia at the party they'd gone to. 

Alec took a deep breath as the door to a small house was opened and his eyes widened at the sight of how much larger it was on the inside. 

"Alec," Alannia said, inclining her head. "I've been expecting you." 

"Yes," Alec said, giving her a quick smile. "May I come in?" 

Alannia held open the door for him and waved it shut with a flick of her fingers after he'd stepped through the doorway. "Would you like some tea?" 

Alec followed her towards the center of the room and considered that. As nice as tea would be, he wasn't sure how much he could trust Alannia and it would be better for him to avoid getting cursed while he was out running these errands. 

"No, thank you," he said, clearing his throat. "Thank you for meeting me on such short notice." 

"Of course," Alannia agreed, summoning a cup of tea from the kettle on the stove. "However, I do wonder why you are here and not on the doorstep of your boyfriend." 

Alec took a deep breath and forced himself to push forward. "I'm not sure what you-" 

Alannia held up a hand. "News among warlocks travels fast, young shadowhunter. I know why you are here, and what you are requesting of me. But I do not know why you would not first ask Magnus." 

"He was my first stop," Alec said, looking at her. It was the truth, and the fact that Magnus had been his only stop was a fact that needed to be just a little bit hidden. 

"Hm." 

"I won't take up too much of your time. But if you could sign an attestation, confirming your pricing, and-" 

Alannia waved a hand, ink rapidly appearing on the form the boy was handing out. "It is far beyond my capabilities and the capabilities of any warlock in the city. If I were asked this in normal circumstances, I would tell you to call him. He is a friend, after all." 

"He does value your friendship," Alec offered, catching her eyes as they flickered to his. 

"I do know this," Alannia agreed, her voice quiet. "We have our specialties in magic, and this is an area in which I excel, and in some ways am even better than he is." She paused and considered. "However, the ability to wield and control that much power is one I cannot begin to fathom, let alone consider pricing." 

Alec nodded and tucked her signed form into his folder and smiled at her. "I do appreciate you taking the time to see me, Alannia." 

Alannia nodded back to him and considered. “What you are doing, Alec Lightwood.” 

Alec looked up at her, pausing in his turn towards the door. “I, yes?” 

“It is appreciated more than you know. For all that some may have blustered, we appreciate the effort you are making in this,” she said. 

Alec smiled and gave another firm nod. “Hopefully, in the future, none of this will be necessary,” he said, heading towards the door, glad when it swung open for him. 

“I hope so too,” Alannia called after him. 

~!~ 

Alec's next meet with Alice, the High Warlock of Queens was quick and efficient. She reminded him of Catarina and he couldn't help but smile when she knocked aside all pleasantries to demand the form he needed her to fill out. He needed to remember that warlocks couldn't keep their mouths shut when it came to something like this. However, this time it would work in his favor and it would show that he was serious about supporting them and the work they were doing. 

Making his way back to the loft, Alec stepped into the room and felt the familiar wards settle over him before fading away and sighed in relief. He'd never appreciated how differently wards felt until he'd been in so many different warlock homes in one day. 

"Alexander, is that you? You're home early!" Magnus called, his eyes widening in delight at the sight of his boyfriend. 

Alec wrapped an arm around Magnus, Oberon's words from earlier in the day echoing in his mind and he pulled him close, pressing a kiss to Magnus' neck. "I love you, you know that?" 

Magnus hummed happily and melted into Alec's arms. "I do know that, Alexander, I promise you that. How was your day? Were you successful?" 

"Very much so. Matthew appeared to send out messages to everyone, letting them know the reason I was coming. It speeded things up," Alec said, closing his eyes as he started to fully relax for the first time that day. 

"Good," Magnus said, relaxing. "I had every faith in your ability to be convincing, Alexander." 

Alec hummed and grinned. "I didn't have to in Oberon's case. He was certainly... _ interesting _ ." 

Magnus groaned and clenched his eyes shut. "I told you not to listen to anything he said about me." 

Alec chuckled and pressed a kiss to Magnus' temple. "I'll hold to that promise if you tell me...are you actually banned from Peru?" 

Magnus groaned louder, clenching his eyes shut. " _ Fuck _ ," he whispered. 

Alec pulled back and stared at Magnus with wide eyes. "You are?!" 

"I wish I could say I could explain..." Magnus started, shaking his head wearily. "But I don't have anything remotely resembling a decent excuse." 

Alec snorted out a laugh and rolled his eyes. "Magnus, you are ridiculous and I want to hear that story. Do I need to ask Catarina?" 

"She does tell it best," Magnus offered, summoning a drink for himself. "Do I want to know what the others said about me?" 

"Actually," Alec said, his voice growing serious. "The one consistent and constant thread through all of the conversations was that they knew you were the one who really fixed the ley lines, and that they all admired you." 

Magnus blinked and tilted his head. "What?" 

Alec smiled and nodded. "Yeah. All of them. They all knew this was about making sure  _ you _ got paid, even though I was careful to not specify a specific warlock. I have a feeling that despite Lorenzo's best efforts, that information will make its way around." 

Magnus laughed and shook his head. "You always surprise me, Alexander," he admitted, wrapping his arms around Alec's shoulders. "Do you need to get that report submitted with those signatures, or can I drag you to bed, hmmm?" 

"I think," Alec paused, stealing a kiss from Magnus. "I could be persuaded...to submit the report in the morning." 

"Oh _good_ ," Magnus purred, pressing in closer to Alec. "I need to remind you who your favorite warlock is, after all, since you're dripping in the magical signatures of the others." 

Alec grinned and kissed Magnus again, this time slower, more deliberate, their lips slowly sliding against each other as they kissed again and again. "I think I know who my favorite is, but I am definitely open to reminders." 

Magnus grinned. "I thought you might be." 

~!~ 

By the time he got to his office the following day, Alec was expecting the call from his father, and was readily prepared for it. 

"What is this, Alec?" 

Alec settled back in his chair, staring at the email he'd written up with Magnus' help. "What you asked for. Attestations of five warlocks, two High Warlocks, about their pricing, or inability to perform what Magnus did to purge the ley lines." 

"Who are these warlocks? I've never heard of them, you could have talked to anyone!" Robert growled. 

Alec hummed. "That's why I included their names and expertise level if you wished to contact them to discuss further." He looked at the list of names that Magnus had updated for the email he had sent and shook his head, glad that he'd gotten the list Magnus had given him instead.

_ Alannia Lionhêart - Former High Warlock of Paris, expert in ley lines and their manipulation, has taught and written books on the topic available in the Spiral Labyrinth _

_ Alice Cusson - High Warlock of Queens, Former High Warlock of Concord, expert in transference of magical powers between entities  _

_ Oberon Onyx - Former High Warlock of Berlin, Amsterdam, Oslo, Venice, and Moscow, currently oldest living warlock in a 1500 mile radius of the city _

_ Matthew Seledina - Warlock able to manipulate ley lines as an area of expertise, studied under Alannia and is able to fluctuate and change their flow _

_ Lucio Ari - High Warlock of Manhattan, Responsible for ley lines for entire eastern seaboard  _

"This is ridiculous, Alec," Robert started.

"I have your confirmation of the agreement via email," Alec said, his voice hard. "If you don't agree, I will take this straight to the Council, as this is no longer about proving the budget necessity, this is a personal vendetta." 

"Alec," Robert chastised. "I wouldn't do that." 

Alec took a deep breath and tightened his hand on the phone. "Prove it," he ordered. "Approve my budget." 

Robert was silent for so long that Alec was afraid he had hung up the phone. 

"Fine. Approved," Robert snapped, disconnecting the call. 

Alec exhaled and leaned back against his chair, grinning bright and wide. He pulled out his phone and tapped out a message to Magnus, even adding a few emojis the way his boyfriend always was. 

"You look like you just went to war," Izzy said, leaning in the doorway. "You've been here, what, five minutes?" 

Alec laughed and looked up at his sister. "Trust me if you knew what I just got done doing, you'd understand." 

Izzy tilted her head. "What were you doing?" 

"Basically?" Alec asked. "Convincing the Clave and Robert how much of a badass Magnus is and how he saved all of our respective asses with the ley lines thing." 

Izzy raised her eyebrows and laughed. "You must be tired if you're swearing like that!" 

"Oh shut up," Alec grumbled, unable to keep from grinning despite himself. 

"I'll leave you to your piles of paperwork then, Alec!" Izzy called with a wave. 

His phone chimed and Alec looked down at it, the string of excited emojis from Magnus making him smile. He'd have to go through and see if he knew what each of them meant later. 

For now though, he could rest easy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Oberon UNQUESTIONABLY my favorite character that I have created in a long time? Oh GOD yes. 
> 
> If you watch Critical Role, he takes a bit of his character from Gilmore, coupled with horns that curl like a Tiefling (showcasing his age). 
> 
> I wish I could dive SO MUCH MORE into his story and about him, because holy shit, guys, I have SO much backstory for Oberon and what his next steps with Malec are and how he helps Alec become immortal and...etc, etc.


	6. Alicante Wards Update

Magnus studied the fire message for a long time, long enough that he could feel Alexander glancing at him from where he's sitting on the couch, reading through his evening reports. 

"Magnus?" 

Magnus read over the fire message again and turned towards Alexander. "I've been...summoned to Alicante," he said. 

Alec sat up in a rush, frowning. "You have? Why? Are they planning to give you the medal that you deserve?" 

Magnus huffed out a laugh and rolled his eyes. "No, no, nothing like that. They're actually hiring me to replace their wards. When they studied the demon attacks, they found them horrifically insufficient." 

" _Oh,_ " Alec said, his tone going mildly curious. "Well, that seems smart of them. Hiring one of the most powerful warlocks in the world to replace their wards. I wonder when they got that smart." 

Magnus narrowed his eyes at his husband. "I wonder indeed." 

"Make sure they pay you properly," Alec said, glancing down at the fire message. "Hell, I'd even say overcharge them for being assholes about it." 

Magnus burst out laughing and joined his husband on the couch. "Who are you and what have you done with the never-breaking-rules Alexander Lightwood-Bane I know and love?" 

Alec smiled and kissed Magnus on the cheek. "I told them if they hired anyone other than you they were fools. No one dared go against my recommendation of you, and not just because you're my husband. But because they all know how powerful you are." 

Magnus hummed. "And they don't even really know, do they?" 

"Well," Alec said, shrugging. "I wasn't about to tell them about that side of things. But you fixing the ley lines and your rescue of Alicante was more than enough to hammer my point home." 

"I don't know if it's a good idea," Magnus said, looking down at the fire message again. "If anything manages to break through-" 

"Hey," Alec said, shifting so he could take Magnus' hands. "You can't protect the city from everything. But this is them recognizing that far too many people died because the Clave was too stubborn to ask for desperately needed help. Once the demon towers were down, the city was intensely vulnerable. Proper wards would have stalled long enough to get help." 

Magnus nodded, looking down at his hands. "Then I'll need to make sure not to show them the extent of everything I can do. Wouldn't want them hunting me down," he joked, only half teasing. 

Alec tilted his head and gave Magnus' hands a squeeze. "I was actually going to suggest the exact opposite. That you go above and beyond what they demand and show them just how powerful you are." He waited for Magnus to meet his eyes. "You know these people, Magnus. They respect and fear power." 

"I don't want to be feared," Magnus said, his voice soft. 

Alec reached out and cupped Magnus' face in his hands, pulling him close for a kiss. "You are never going to be feared by the people who matter," he promised fiercely, kissing Magnus hard before he moved back to look at him again. "But those men? The men who are trying to undermine everything we want to accomplish? They will respond to power." 

Magnus blew out a hard breath, nodding, looking down at the note in his hand. "I could overcharge them," he said, a hint of teasing in his voice. 

"I would expect nothing less," Alec said, smiling as he kissed Magnus' forehead. "Don't fear your power, Magnus. I certainly don't. It's you, like anything else, no matter where it came from." 

"All right," Magnus said, summoning a piece of parchment, magicking his agreement (and price) onto it before he sent it off with another flick of his fingertips. He looked up at Alec and kissed him again. "Have I told you I loved you today?" 

Alec smiled and pressed their foreheads together. "Yes, but I will never object to hearing it again." 

"I love you, Alexander," Magnus whispered, wrapping his arms around Alec's shoulders. 

"And I love you, Magnus. Every single part of you," Alec promised, tugging Magnus up from the couch and towards the bedroom. 

~!~

The summons had been very specific and had provided a location for him to portal to just outside the wards of the city. Magnus rolled his eyes at the pomp of the letter he received and ignored the thinly veiled insults about his pricing. They certainly hadn't bothered to contact any other warlock, so they were objecting more for the sake of objecting rather than any true concerns over the pricing. 

Wishing Alexander luck during his day at the Alicante Institute while he headed to the random location was the last bright spot he expected to have of this day. Magnus summoned the portal, straightened his shoulders, and stepped through it and onto a grassy knoll overlooking the city. 

Like this, not under siege by demons, the City of Glass was beautiful and Magnus couldn't help but smile faintly at the sight of it. It was where Alexander had grown up after all, and he did have fond memories that he spoke of from time to time. 

"Warlock Bane!" 

Magnus sighed and glanced skyward, telling himself to be patient before he turned to the several members of the Clave standing on the other side of the hill. "Lightwood-Bane, as a reminder," he said, keeping his voice pleasant. 

The Clave member waved the correction away. "The other warlocks will be here shortly, and then we will be able to, of course, commence _your_ warding. Any assistance that you might need, they will be happy to-" 

"Wait a moment," Magnus said, holding up a hand. "Other warlocks? Why are others involved?" he narrowed his eyes. 

"Surely you are aware of the extensiveness of the wards around Alicante. It's impossible for a single warlock to be able to pull them up or down on their own," the Clave official blustered. "No offense to yourself, or your skillset." 

Magnus snorted and rolled his eyes, reaching out with his magic, touching the edge of the wards he could feel. The council member was right-

"What are you doing?" 

Magnus scowled and looked over his shoulder. "Analyzing your existing wards so I can ensure that I am incorporating all the protections that you want into the new ones I will raise," he snapped. 

He refocused on the wards. Having them built by several warlocks not working well in conjunction had given them a patchwork consistency, it was no wonder they had been broken so easily. He rolled his shoulders and pulled his hands back, staring at them, Alexander's words from the previous night ringing through his head. 

"There's no need, the warlocks we have summoned helped to place these wards, and they have worked well for centuries-" 

"Up until the attack of Alicante, right?" Magnus interrupted. "Contact them and tell them not to bother coming. I'll handle this." He felt the shock ripple through all of the assembled Clave officials and grinned, turning to the wards again. 

"Excuse me, Warlock Lightwood-Bane," one of the other officials stepped forward. "We would not want you to exhaust yourself, and the wards around Alicante are extensive-" 

"They're extensive and outdated," Magnus said, keeping his voice cheerful as he stepped towards them again, pressing his hands against them, pushing a small pulse of power into them to turn them visible, the amber color in front of them quickly surrounding the entire city. "Would you like me to prove it to you?" 

"Carstairs, summon the Spiral Labyrinth, tell them to get here now." 

Magnus chuckled and looked up at the wards. "You can summon them if you like, but if you tell them I'm the one here, they're not likely to come." 

"And why is that?" Carstairs snapped. 

"Because they know I don't need help," Magnus said, focusing on the wards in front of him again. He took a deep breath and then another. The quickest way to replace them would be to tear them down and replace them with a basic set of warding, and then weave in the deeper protections as soon as he was done. 

He ignored the protests behind him and took a step back, removing his jacket, clapping his hands together with a resoundingly loud echo. Magnus pulled on the threads of power that he had resolutely tried to avoid since coming back from Edom, but they were still there, like they had never left and never planned on leaving. The power of an entire destroyed realm at his fingertips for summoning. 

Magnus took a step forward, magic glowing bright blue and white around his hands as he held them out in front of him and pressed them to the wards. With a quick command, they shattered under his touch, disappearing from around the city. Alarms began to blare and Magnus grunted, dropping to his knees, throwing his power into the residual structure beneath the ground that he could feel, tying the new wards into them. 

Behind him, the Clave officials were shouting, but none of them dared to step close while his power flickered over his skin like lightning, pouring out of him and into the ground around Alicante. 

Once he had the base of the structure built, Magnus threw his hands up and over his head with another grunt, replacing the golden walls with blue ones tinged white. The alarms were immediately silenced and he grinned. There was stunned silence behind him as he stepped back from the warded walls, magic still dripping from his fingertips as he weaved magic into them, ancient, powerful protection spells known to few outside the Spiral Labyrinth, pushing them into the wards around Alicante. 

The pool of power he had access to was almost never-ending, but drawing from it for too long left him feeling raw and scraped out, as though he was nothing more than a vessel for the power, and Magnus knew he was rapidly approaching that point. He added the last of the warded protections that the city required and then let his hands fall, the magic around him starting to fade. 

He turned back to the Clave officials, and with a snap of his fingers, the image of the wards was glamoured and hidden from existence like they had been before. 

"What have you done?!" Carstairs blustered. "Those wards are probably half as strong as they could be if you had waited for assistance! I'd heard tales of your arrogance,  _ warlock _ , but I didn't think that we would see evidence of it today." 

Magnus laughed. He couldn't help it. He picked up his jacket and shrugged it back on, just as two portals appeared next to the officials. 

"Josuna, Stefan, there you are," Carstairs blustered. "We need you to test the security of the new wards immediately, Warlock Bane decided to act on his own-" 

"Lightwood-Bane," Magnus called, again.

Josuna frowned and met Magnus' eyes and the challenging eyebrow before turning back to Carstairs. "Magnus is one of the most powerful warlocks in the world. If he is confident in his ability to create the wards without us, that is fine, but what of the old ones?" 

"I tore them down," Magnus said simply. "Stripped them straight to their roots so I could use the anchors that were put in place centuries ago." 

Stefan blinked in surprise. “You...tore them down? On your own?” 

Josuna stepped forward, glancing towards Stefan. “That’s not possible.” 

“The alarms around the city did go off,” Magnus said, gesturing towards Alicante. “But if you’d like to test, I assure you. I took the old ones down and have put new ones into place. There are additional protections I’ll put on at a later date, but for now, the city is better protected than it has been in centuries.” 

Stefan and Josuna shared a look. “That won’t be necessary, Magnus, thank you.” 

“What?” Carstairs sputtered. “Of course it needs to be tested! We have to make sure the city is safe!” 

Magnus raised an eyebrow. “Doubting my skills now?” He turned his attention to Stefan and Josuna and gestured to the wards. “If you’d like to ensure my statements are correct? I dare you to attack.” 

Carstairs turned red in his fury. “You  _ dare _ them?” 

Magnus put his hands into his pockets and looked to Stefan and Josuna. “You could both attack with everything you have, and I am confident my wards would not only hold, but would warn the city.” 

“Magnus,” Stefan cautioned, holding out a hand. “The kind of spellwork you’re talking about…” 

“May I remind you,” Magnus said, his voice friendly, but hard. “I am the warlock who invented the portal, Stefan. If I say that my wards are strong enough to withstand an attack from you? They  _ are. _ ” 

Stefan shook his head and pooled magic in his palm. “You know I respect your level of skill, Magnus.” 

Magnus glanced over to Josuna and saw him doing the same, both of the warlocks prepping to attack together. He stepped back and looked to the Clave officials. “I’d recommend stepping back a bit further,” he said with a gesture, turning to look at the two warlocks. 

The torrent of power that Josuna and Stefan released together would have concerned him were they almost any other wards he’d ever created. The glamour fell, as intended, and it flared bright white before turning blood red, highlighting the exact point of attack. 

“Cover your ears!” Magnus called, casting a spell to protect his own. A claxon sounded, echoing across all of Alicante, loud and blaring, the red portion of the walls pulsing under the strain of the attack. A small flash of light appeared next to him and Magnus waved it away, not needing the notification of the attack in this instance. 

Josuna and Stefan both let their arms drop, the attack on the wards stopping. 

“Ah, not done yet!” Magnus said, holding up a finger, looking behind the Clave officials where a portal had just formed, a team of six shadowhunters stepping out, Alexander just behind them, weapons at the ready. He grinned, crossing his arms over his chest. “There we go.” 

“What, what, what is all of this, Warlock Bane?!” One of the council members sputtered. 

Alec stepped around the council member and offered him a glare. “Lightwood-Bane. And you would do well to remember that, Lovelace. I know you tend to forget with me just as often.” 

“Alexander,” Magnus said, grinning and holding out his hands. “Decided to join us?” 

Alec nodded and looked to the group of shadowhunters. “Whenever there is an attempted breach of the wards, that’s what the warning will look like. Depending on the severity of the attempted breach, this was a level six, for example, you should adjust your team accordingly.” 

Magnus winked at Alec and turned to the council members, directly addressing Lovelace who as staring at him in shock, and Josuna and Stefan who were impassive. “Multiple layers of protection,” he explained. “Firstly, if it is a singular attack, the wards will concentrate that power to that location to prevent a breach. Secondly, that portion of the wards lights up, so that way we know where the attack is coming from and can either evacuate, or focus our defenses accordingly.” 

The shock on the council members faces was worth it as he had the opportunity to keep going, ticking the rest off on his fingers. 

“Next is a notification to me that the wards have been attacked,” he explained. 

“And why was that necessary?” Lovelace snapped. 

Magnus raised his eyebrows. “There are few creatures that can stand up to me in a direct fight, blow for blow. If you are under attack again, you will need my help.” He cleared his throat and continued. “When the portion of the wards light up, the attack severity is gauged and notification sent to your Institute so you can scramble immediate forces to address the problem. As you can see,” Magnus said, gesturing to the shadowhunters. “They arrived in a matter of minutes.” 

The council members were silent, staring at him in shock. Magnus winked at them, sauntering past them towards Alec again. “I’ll be sending you my bill!” he called. He waited until Alec was done talking to the shadowhunters and smiled at him. “Portal home, darling?” 

Alec grinned at him, bright and wide. “I’d love one.” 

Magnus took Alec’s hand and led him back to the loft. 

It took a matter of days for him to be paid and he smiled in satisfaction, snapping the note away to his filing system. 

“How much did you overcharge them?” Alec asked, eyeing Magnus. “Please say it was a lot.” 

Magnus smirked. “Thirty percent.” 

Alec burst out laughing, leaning back against the couch. “Angels above, Magnus.” 

“Oh don’t worry, I told them they could pay in installments if they needed to,” he said, striding towards the couch. “They were so insulted by the idea that they might need installments that they paid me, in full, immediately, without protest.” 

Alec tugged Magnus down for a kiss. “You’re brilliant and I love you.” 

“I love you too,” Magnus breathed, flopping onto the couch beside Alec. 


	7. The Day the Institute is Attacked

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter was originally a very normal 2,500 words, but then everyone loved Oberon so much I had to go back and do a full re-write of this chapter so he could make a bigger appearance and then the battle scene got extended because IDEAS, and then it ended up like 6,800 words. 
> 
> So yes, I am sorry for the SLIGHT delay in getting this out to you all, because I fully intended to post this much sooner than I did, but I hope that you enjoy it regardless!

“Get down!” Alec shouted, striding past Shadowhunters who hit the deck as the next blast hit the Institute. 

“Evacuation status,” he snapped to Clary, helping someone catch their feet as they moved through the Portal. 

“We’ve swept the building, it’s clear,” Clary started. “But you know that we’re just collateral for-“

“I know,” Alec interrupted her. “Essential personnel, get the hell out,” he ordered, pointing to the portal. The last people began to file out of Ops and the emptiness of the building was obvious. 

“We’re not leaving you,” Izzy said, lifting her chin. 

Alec glared at her and Jace, pointing to the portal. “Get the hell out, now!” 

Another alarm began blaring behind him and Alec spun to look at it, his eyes widening. “They’re attacking the wards, they’re going to fall any second, we need to-“ 

“I don’t think so,” Magnus said, striding through the portal the shadowhunters had been escaping through, closing it behind him. He looked at Izzy, Clary and Jace, and then to Alexander, smiling darkly at all of them. “Not while I’m still standing. All of you stay here. I’ll hold them off until reinforcements arrive.” 

“Magnus!” Alec snapped, reaching out to grab him, but the warlock was already stepping through another portal, closing it behind him. “Find him on the monitors!” 

“Alec,” Clary said, her eyes faraway. She reached out for his arm. “Alec, I know something that can help. Where’s your bow?” 

Alec materialized the bow in his hand and handed it to her, moving over to the desk behind Isabelle. The perimeter cameras showed Magnus, standing just outside his wards on the Institute, in front of the large group of demons advancing, led by what looked like three warlocks. 

“I’m going to kill you,” Alec breathed. “I am going to absolutely, fucking _murder_ you.” He spun away from the desk, striding for the front door. 

“Alec!” Izzy shouted. “What the hell are you doing?” 

“Order that backup from Jersey to get here on the angel-damned double!” Alec shouted. “And start runing every single one of my arrows!” 

“You need your bow!” Clary shouted after him, staring at it in her hands. The new rune, the one that would let his arrows penetrate spells was pulsing on it. 

Jace grabbed Clary’s arm and pointed her towards the armory. “He can call it, now go with Izzy!” 

Clary turned and sprinted after Isabelle, only to find her dumping arrows onto the counter. 

Isabelle grabbed an arrow and quickly dragged her stele across it, watching it shine before she put it down on the counter. “As many as you can, quickly.” 

Clary grabbed a handful and started copying Isabelle’s careful swipes. She could only hope Alec knew what he was doing. 

~!~

Alec stepped through the wards and shut the front door behind him, closing it. He took a deep breath and took out his stele, drawing a variation of the locking symbol on the doors, watching it burn into the wood. That would keep them from getting in if they managed to get past he and Magnus. 

Magnus watched attention shift from him to just over his shoulder. A quick check of his wards confirmed who had just walked through and he was going to have a discussion with Alexander about his lack of self-preservation. 

Alec stopped beside Magnus, crossing his arms over his chest. “You knew I wasn’t going to let you fight alone.” 

Magnus dropped his hands to his sides, letting them start to drip red flame, his glamour dropping as he stared out at the three warlocks commanding the demons, his skin crawling. There was something bigger, something much worse behind them. “Last chance to run,” he called. 

“Your shadowhunter too cowardly to even bring a weapon?” One of the warlocks teased. 

Alec stepped up in front of Magnus and shrugged. “Didn’t seem necessary.” 

The warlock snarled and stepped closer. “Your pet shadowhunter will pay for that. Attack!” 

In an instant, Alec had his bow in hand and fired three arrows in rapid succession, hitting each of the demons in their eyes, forcing them to dissolve into a pool of ichor. He drew another arrow and pointed it at the warlock. 

Magnus looked over at Alexander in surprise. He hadn’t felt him unglamour the bow, but there it had been, in his hand in a shower of blue sparks by the time he was ready to fire. It was also sporting a new rune that was glowing bright gold. “New rune?” 

“Clary,” Alec said, feeling the power thrum through the bow. “Not sure what it does yet.” 

“How helpful,” Magnus drawled. 

Alec didn’t bother answering, all of his focus shifting to the warlock now advancing on them both. 

“You think your weapon can do anything to me?” The warlock snapped, magic gathering around his fingertips. 

Alec hummed and waited until the warlock had fired the magic at them both. He stepped in front of Magnus before he could dissipate the attack and fired the arrow straight through the spell, destroying it before the arrow hit the warlock in the heart. 

Magnus blinked and looked at the bow. “I take back what I said. Very helpful.” 

Alec gave Magnus a quick wink and drew another arrow. “Your turn. I’ll cover you and stay right behind you.” 

“How kind of you, Alexander,” Magnus purred. He turned his attention back to the demons in front of him. He let his power grow, pulling on his anger that his own kind would attack innocents, and then an Institute. It wasn’t often he got to tap into his power in this way.

The first two demons were incinerated with barely a twitch of his fingers and he watched the other two warlocks take a step back in fear. Magnus straightened his shoulders and felt the red flames around his hands crawl up his forearms, his power pulsing around him. 

Alec watched Magnus step forward, the ground quaking under him, only for the power to explode out of him in controlled bursts, incinerating the demons approaching them both. He nocked another arrow, firing it quickly as a demon tried to sneak up behind Magnus. 

Magnus lost himself in the steady rhythm of staying on the offensive, steadily moving forward, Alexander at his back, firing arrow after arrow. His magic was starting to flag, even with the boost he’d pulled, and he could feel exhaustion licking at the edges of his mind. 

“Magnus,” Alec shouted. Where were all of them coming from? There were too many, and it already felt like they had fought thousands. “We need to retreat!” 

Answering was something he didn’t have time for. Magnus twisted, deflecting a blast aimed for Alexander, his magic leaping for the demons who’d endangered the shadowhunter, burning them alive on the spot. They needed a different plan. 

“Well, my lovely darlings, you need a new plan. Or some backup!” 

Magnus’ eyes flared and he grabbed Alec’s arm, yanking hard. “Get down!” 

Fire licked out across the field in a massive wave, forcing the demons back until they were clawing at a wall of flames in front of them. 

Oberon smiled brightly and stepped up beside Magnus. “There, now we’ve bought ourselves a few minutes, care to tell me why you have all the hoards of hell after the both of you?” 

“Oberon?” Alec asked, staring at the warlock. “What, what are you doing here?” 

Oberon pouted. “You think I’d let you keep all the fun of a Prince of Hell to yourselves? Especially one I’ve tango’d with before? Come now, boys, you both know me better than that.” 

“Prince of Hell?” Alec asked. 

“You think anyone else could summon demon hoards?” Oberon asked, raising an eyebrow at Alec. “And here I thought you were more than just a pretty face.” 

“Oberon,” Magnus panted, staring at him. “They’re here for Alec and I. They’re displaced edomites.” 

Oberon let out a low whistle and looked at the demons hovering outside the ring of fire that he’d created. “Well, now I know why he’s here. The chance to topple the destroyer of Edom?” 

Magnus’ shoulders stiffened and he stared beyond the ring of fire. “Do you have any suggestions for how to take down a Prince of Hell, then?” 

“Haven’t the foggiest,” Oberon said with a shrug. “Was hoping you’d have an idea.” 

Alec fought down a groan and looked out at the line of fire. “How long do we have?” 

“About three minutes,” Oberon said cheerfully. “I’m assuming you’re not willing to leave the Institute?” 

Alec thought of Izzy, Jace and Clary inside and shook his head. “Not an option.” 

“Well then, my dears, you had better think of something quickly,” Oberon said, tucking his fingers into his pockets. 

Magnus glared at Oberon. “You’re not helping.” 

“And here I thought helping you from being overwhelmed by hoards of demons was a wonderful help,” Oberon snapped back. 

Alec let them fall to their bickering and looked around, his mind racing until he realized how far they were from the Institute. “What about the ley lines?” When both Magnus and Oberon turned to him, he waved to the west, where the nearest node was. “What about tapping into the ley lines?” 

Oberon tilted his head, curiosity rising in his eyes. “What are you thinking, shadowhunter?” 

“If, if you tapped into the ley lines?” Alec started, his voice hesitant. “Would you have enough power to go toe to toe with a Prince of Hell?” 

Oberon hummed and shook his head. “I certainly wouldn’t. I don’t have the stores to be able to do something like that. Your husband though…” 

Alec turned to Magnus. “Magnus?” 

Magnus frowned and looked out beyond Alec and Oberon, shaking his head. “I can’t maintain a connection to the ley lines and fight him. Even if I had enough time to pull the power, I couldn’t hold it, it’d need to be a constant stream of power.” 

Oberon hummed. “What if you weren’t the one pulling the power?” 

Magnus’ eyes snapped to Oberon. “No.” 

The hum turned more thoughtful. “It could work. If I fed the power into you. I don’t think your magic would accept mine in that way, though.” 

Magnus cursed. “You’re right, it wouldn’t.” His eyes flickered to the flame barrier that was starting to fall. 

“What if you filtered it through something? To something your magic would accept?” Alec asked suddenly, his head swinging to Oberon. “What if you threw the power into something, or someone, that Magnus could draw from?” 

Oberon frowned. “There’s no way that your body could handle the amount of magic we’re talking about, Alec, it’d kill you.” 

Alec’s eyes were bright and he turned to Magnus. “Not if we’ve got the Alliance rune.” 

Magnus’ eyes widened and he shoved his sleeve up. “Quickly, Alexander, we’re out of time.” 

Alec drew the rune on his own arm in quick, practiced motions and took Magnus’ arm, taking a deep breath before he began to draw. 

“A rune that works on downworlders,” Oberon breathed, staring at the two of them in shock. “Magnus, my dear, you are going to need to tell me all about this-” 

“Let’s focus on not dying first,” Magnus growled, sucking in a hard breath as he felt the rune activate and Alec spin some of his magic around his fingers. “Oberon, hurry,” he ordered. 

Oberon laughed and strode away from the both of them, closing his eyes and summoning his magic to his fingertips before letting it drip to touch the ley lines deep underground, giving a firm pull on it, power gathering steadily. “Never a dull day around you, darlings.” 

Magnus laughed and watched Alec start to swipe over more runes on his body, feeling the jolt of their power run through him. He gave Alec a push. “Stay behind my wards. I can’t do this if I’m worried about you the entire time.” 

Alec nodded. “As long as you stay safe.” 

“Safe as I can fighting a Prince of Hell,” Magnus promised, pulling Alec in for a kiss. “Go. Ten yards back.” 

Alec nodded again and immediately retreated, stepping behind the wards. Magnus gave him an approving nod before turning back to the two warlocks and what looked like a mundane standing between them. 

“You stand alone against Seir, Prince of Hell, the legions I command, and the hoards of Edom you abandoned to us all, Magnus Bane?” 

Magnus summoned his magic to his fingers once again, forcing himself to take a deep breath, his eyes flashing gold. “You bet I do.” 

Seir laughed and tilted his head. “Then you shall perish and I will hang your corpse for all to see.” 

“Over my dead body,” Alec called, firmly meeting the bright red eyes of the Prince when they turned to him. He planted himself and shouldered his bow and sheathed his seraph blade. He took a deep breath, pushing on the connection to Magnus, feeling his husband start to pull on his strength. 

“What a funny little Nephilim,” Seir said, turning his attention back to Magnus Bane and the power that was gathering around him. “I’ll enjoy picking him apart.” 

“Hold on boys!” Oberon called, flexing one hand, removing it from the dripping cloud of silver gathering around him to point it at Alec. With a soft incantation and exhale, he pushed the magic into Alec, establishing the connection with the shadowhunter - and by extension, Magnus. It was equivalent to touching a blank slate, the power swirled around and through Alec before being pushed by the boy towards Magnus, who was exuding so much magic the ground trembled with it. 

Whatever Alec had been expecting when Oberon directed the magic into him, it wasn’t the immediate and overwhelming sensation of drowning. He floundered under it, stumbling, until he felt calm sweep through him, coming from the parabatai bond. Thanking the angel for Jace, Alec refocused on Magnus and pushed the power out of him and towards his husband. In a flash of silver, he could feel the ropes between the three of them solidify into place. 

“Well, well, if it isn’t my grandson. I suppose it was too much to think that you would stay out of things, Oberon,” Seir called, his eyes shifting to the other warlock. 

Oberon laughed and twisted his fingers, commanding more power out of the ley lines, feeling them pulse under him, the pull of power reaching further and deeper into the city. Any creature who could feel them would know what was happening now. “What can I say grandad, it’s been a few centuries since you were topside, I had to say hello!” 

“Attack him, kill him and bring his corpse to me!” Seir ordered, pointing to Oberon. He turned his attention to the warlock in front of him and smirked. “You play with power, little princeling.” 

Alec felt the wards shatter under the weight of the demons surging forward and Magnus stagger with them until he refocused on Seir. “I’ve got it!” he shouted, pulling his bow off his back. His movements felt slow, glacial, but he was still able to shoot down three demons as they approached Oberon. But it wasn’t fast enough, it wasn’t going to be enough. Which meant they were going to lose the ley lines connection and Magnus wouldn’t be able to stand against Seir. 

The sound of a whip crack made Oberon turn and he saw three shadowhunters surrounding him, their backs to him as they fought off the demons moving towards him. 

“Whatever you’re doing, don’t stop!” 

“Hadn’t planned on it,” Oberon shouted to the blonde and focused on pulling more power from the ley lines, his bones starting to ache with the weight of it. 

Alec nearly sagged in relief at the sight of Izzy and Clary surrounding Oberon, with Jace making his way towards him. “Jace-” 

“Tell me later, just keep doing it, and I’ll cover your back!” Jace growled at him, slicing down another demon. “Magnus is our best chance and whatever the hell summoned that bastard is keeping Jersey from portaling in - they’re coming, but they’re far out!” 

Alec nodded and turned his focus back towards Magnus and Seir, the air distorting around them with the weight of the power they were carrying. 

Magnus spared barely any attention to the commotion behind him beyond ensuring that Alexander was safe enough now with his parabatai beside him. He could feel Seir gathering power into his palms and focused on doing the same. When the Prince of Hell threw the full weight of his magic forward, Magnus had just enough to meet him, the blue of his hitting the black magic bleeding out from the demon. The weight of it was staggering and Magnus barely managed to center himself enough to pull what he needed from Alexander, with Oberon behind him. 

“So the little princeling thinks that he can play with us now,” Seir panted, taking a step forward, grunting with the effort, the weight of the magic between them thickening. “We’ll have to correct that impression.” 

“Magnus!” Oberon shouted, catching sight of the two warlocks moving to flank Magnus as Seir kept him distracted with enough power to drown them all in its weight. No sooner had he cried out than two arrows flew past Magnus, cutting through the miasma of magic to strike the hearts of both warlocks, sending them crashing to the ground. 

“You,” Alec panted, feeling the weight of the demons behind Seir turn to look at him, meeting the gaze of the Prince of Hell once again. “Will not  _ touch _ him.” The power moving through him felt the conviction and surged through his bond with Magnus as he pulled another arrow, pointing it at Seir. 

Seir laughed, magic pulsing around him, black and smoky. “You are an adorably loyal little dog, aren’t you, shadowhunter?” 

Oberon breathed in a sigh of relief, even as the shadowhunters around him fought against the surge of demons, raveners, shax and hoards of others moving towards them. He twisted his hands again, pulling from deeper inside the ley lines, even as they protested the intense power draw he was taking. 

When Seir let the torrent of magic start to fade, Magnus gave himself the briefest of seconds to breathe, drawing in more power from Alexander, even as he felt the strain starting to weigh on all of them. He focused on the Prince of Hell in front of him and straightened his shoulders. 

“What are you doing here? Why have you come?” 

Seir laughed. “You don’t know, little princeling?” 

Magnus felt disgust crawl over him at the name, and he stepped closer, power thickening around him again. It was clear that whatever reason Seir had for coming topside, it was a risk that he was willing to take. 

“For all that you have forgone the claim to your realm, it is still yours,” Seir said, a smirk curling on his lips. “I am here to take it, the only way it can be. By **force**.” 

Understanding flickered through Magnus for a breath-taking second before he was suddenly being assaulted by the power from Seir again. He brought his hands up, throwing power back at the Prince of Hell, but it wasn’t going to be enough, no matter how much power Oberon pulled, he wasn’t going to be strong enough. 

“Ah, now you see,” Seir mocked, taking a step closer, twisting his fingers, black magic pouring out in a wider spread. “You can try to delay me all you like, but you cannot  _ defeat _ me. Your defeat of your father was de facto, and luck only. Inch for inch, you can never stand against one of us, Magnus Bane.” 

Magnus forced himself to take a deep breath, twisting his hand to form a lance with his power, pushing it through Seir’s, forcing it to break up and retreat to form a stronger wave. “We’ll see about that,” he snarled. 

Seir laughed. “Very well, half-breed. I will show you the full power of a Prince.” 

“Magnus!” Oberon shouted, trying to warn him as he watched his grandfather twist magic around his fingertips. 

Magnus shifted his attention to Oberon, for only the briefest of seconds - but it was enough for Seir to throw out a tidal wave of power that extinguished all of his, throwing him back to the ground, his entire body aching under the pressure. 

“Magnus!” 

Magnus’ head was swimming, but he stumbled to his feet, blue haze gathering around his fingers, but it wasn’t enough, it wasn’t enough, he couldn’t be enough…

“Goodbye, little princeling,” Seir whispered, a lethal smirk curling his lips. 

“No!” 

“Magnus!” 

Magnus closed his eyes and waited, feeling the surge of power come for him, only to be stopped mere feet from him with the sound of a grunt. He blinked frantically, trying to clear the dizziness from his vision, only to see a shield in front of him, shining brilliant white, blocking wave after wave of lethal hellmagic coming for him. 

“Get up Magnus,” Alec ordered, forcing his hands to steady under the assault of magic coming at him. He poured all of the magic he could feel from Oberon into the shield, taking a step forward, giving Magnus room to breathe. “You have to get up,  _ now _ , I don’t know how long I can hold this.” 

Magnus blinked again, focusing on Alexander.  _ Alexander _ , who was standing between him and a Prince of Hell, a shield of pure angelic magic held in front of him, holding back hellfire and worse. “Alexander…?” 

Seir screamed in fury and magic exploded out of him, reaching for the angelic shield protecting Magnus, beating against it. “You cannot hold me back, Nephilim!!” 

Alec grunted, pressing his fingers tighter to the shield, numbness starting to seep through his fingers. He met Seir’s gaze and forced himself to smirk. “Watch me,” he snarled, pushing his shield forward. 

“Alexander, you can’t, he’s going to kill you,” Magnus breathed, scrambling to his feet. His magic  _ ached _ and even now, barely responded to his call. “Let me, let me-” 

“Magnus, listen to me,” Alec panted, refusing to take his eyes off of Seir. “I know who I married.” 

Magnus frowned, even as his skin started to itch, the words an uncomfortable reminder. “What are you-” 

“Magnus,” Alec snapped, cutting him off. “ _ Listen _ to what he’s saying, and then listen to  _ me _ .” 

Magnus stilled, and his magic stilled with him, on the edge of a precipice, ready to topple over, all of him focused on Alexander, on his husband, holding back the powers of a Prince of Hell, all to protect  _ him _ . 

“I know who I married, who I love. I know who you are the son of, I know your lineage, I know your birthright, and I know your history.” Alec grunted as Seir screamed again and demons dashed forward, attacking the shield, the white light starting to form cracks. 

Magnus felt the words echo in the silence of his mind, his heart pounding wildly out of control. 

“I know you fear the power you have, because you do not wish to become what you could be,” Alec continued, his hands numb with the effort of maintaining the shield, sweat breaking out on his brow. “But you are not the power at your fingertips, Magnus, and some beings in this world only respond to power.” 

The certainty, the stillness, the  _ conviction _ ringing in those words from Alexander had Magnus spinning, and even now, the pool of power from Edom sat there, just within reach, waiting for his call. Waiting for him to claim everything he was and could be. To be her King, not just her Prince. 

Alec grunted and turned his eyes away from Seir long enough to meet Magnus’ golden eyes, reading the desperation in them with a smile. “You are, and always will be the man I have married, Magnus. I love you.” 

Magnus let his eyes fall shut under the power of those words and took a deep breath, reaching for the magic from Edom. It flooded into him, sulfur and heat. Where before he had always been careful to never take too much, afraid of the fire lit in his veins burning him from within, this time Magnus surrendered himself to it, and the power responded, consuming him until the weight was abruptly gone and instead it resided within  _ him _ . 

“Let go, Alexander,” Magnus ordered, his voice soft. “I have him now.” The part of him that itched for blood, for violence, for viciousness, rejoiced as he called it forward. It took the space of a second for Magnus to imagine the matching blades on the weapons rack in the Institute behind him and to summon them into his hands just as Alec’s shield began to shatter under the force of magic from Seir. 

One last resounding crack and Alec was blown back, falling to the grass behind him, scrambling to his feet to try to maintain the connection between he, Oberon and Magnus, glad when Jace fought through a handful of ravener demons to stand beside him. Alec straightened and stared at Magnus as he held onto the blades he had summoned, staring down at them.

Seir laughed, striding forward, his magic condensing around a large black blade held in his hand, armor forming around him. “So the Princeling does know how to fight!” 

Magnus took a deep breath and stared at the blades, pushing the deep hellfire magic of Edom into the angelic metal, the two signatures warring until he forced them both to be what he needed. Now, like this, he could feel the strain Oberon was under, and the strain from the ley lines themselves, having been tapped hard enough to leave them spluttering in effort. He turned calm eyes to Seir and advanced on him, his own blue and burning red of Edom’s magic swirling around him to form armor. 

“You think a pair of Seraph blades will make a difference?” Seir laughed, striding towards Magnus with his own blade held in his hands. “You still think you could ever be a match for me?” 

Magnus swung both the blades, power flaring out when his blades met Seir’s with a thunderclap. Under the force of the magic, both demonic and angelic, Seir’s cracked and Magnus smirked, power surging under his skin. Magnus met surprised red eyes and pressed down, the crack on Seir’s blade widening. A demonic blade would always fall to an angelic one, and tied to Alexander with the Alliance rune, he wielded the angelic blade as though he had been born to it.

“I know I am. I am a Prince of Hell in my own right, Seir,” Magnus intoned, the simple words echoing around them. A Prince of Hell. Edom’s King. The words alone held  **power** . He was done hiding from his heritage, from his lineage, from who he actually  _ was _ . No more. “And I will send you back to where you belong.” 

This time when Seir’s magic erupted, Magnus was able to match it in force, pushing the demon back, his hands clenched tightly on the blades as he swung them, again and again, thunder and lightning exploding from where their blades met, eviscerating the demons around them, destruction a path as they fought, spinning, twisting and snarling. The steady flow of magic from Alexander, the certainty singing through their bond, followed by his love and confidence was enough to have Magnus pushing his advantage, Seir’s blade shattering under his next blow. 

“Well, well,” Seir drawled, taking a step back as both the blades were pointed at him. “Looks like you’ve made your choice, princeling.” 

Magnus straightened his spine and glared at the demon. “ **Enough**.” 

Seir laughed, shaking his head. “So you have accepted yourself at last, and become what you were meant to be, and now you will lose it all.” He narrowed his eyes and stepped back from the angelic blades pointed at him. “Do you think your loved ones will stay, now that they know what you are? What you’re capable of? You will be feared, you will be reviled, and when you are chased from this  _ precious _ world you love so much, I will be waiting  **_ghurk_ ** -” 

Alec stepped up beside Magnus, lowering his bow as he watched Seir fall, his hands clutching at his throat where an arrow was sticking out of it, his eyes red and blazing in fury. He grinned and winked. “I know who I married,” he repeated. He turned to look at Magnus and smiled at him. “Time to send this bastard packing, I think.” 

Magnus nodded, waving a hand, a portal appearing in an instant before he threw it at Seir, sending him straight back to the hell dimensions. Around him, the demons stirred impatiently, and he turned to look at all of them, power licking over his skin again. He turned to Alexander and raised an eyebrow. “Do you trust me?” 

Alec laughed and stepped in closer to Magnus, reaching out to cup his face, running his thumbs along Magnus’ cheekbones. “Always, Magnus, always.” 

Magnus took a deep breath and stepped in closer to Alec, closing his eyes as he leaned into that touch, letting the power singing through his veins erupt all over again, a cackling red wave of power from him exterminating demon after demon, erasing any evidence of them until the field stood empty and silent. Once it was over, he drew the power back, afraid it wouldn’t respond, but it settled back into him, just as his normal magic did, waiting for him to call upon it again. 

“Magnus?” Alec whispered, pressing a slow kiss to his forehead. Magnus’ face was still twisted, as though he were waiting for a blow, or pain. “Are you all right?” 

Magnus blinked slowly and met Alexander’s eyes. “I...you’re not afraid?” 

Alec laughed and shook his head, kissing Magnus quick and gentle. “Of you? Never, Magnus. Especially since you just saved all of our asses.” 

Something deep in him settled, the small knot of fear that Seir had been right, that Alec would fear him, what he was now capable of, unravelled at the laugh and the teasing kiss. He took a deep breath and felt his magic relax further, until he felt no different than normal. 

“I hate the both of you!” Oberon announced with a huff, striding towards them with a limp, the other three shadowhunters trailing behind him. “The rest of us look like we have been to Hell and back a dozen times, and you two look like you just stepped off a magazine cover!” 

Alec couldn’t help the laugh that burst out of him, his eyes shifting from Magnus to Oberon, then to his parabatai, Izzy and Clary, glad to see they were all right, if exhausted. 

Magnus snorted and met Oberon’s eyes. “You’re all right?” 

“I am taking a month’s vacation after this fiasco, and if I have to do any ley line work in the next decade it will be too damn soon!” Oberon complained, flicking his fingers. His eyes turned sharp and glinted. “But it might have been worth it to see you send my grandfather packing in such fashion.” 

A relieved chuckle broke out of Magnus and he leaned against Alexander a little heavier, exhaustion starting to creep over him. “Always happy to provide the best in entertainment, Oberon.” 

“Don’t thank me yet, you’re the one that’s going to have to explain to everyone why we almost drained the ley lines dry!” Oberon called, summoning himself a portal. “In fact, it’s the price I demand for helping!” 

Magnus groaned, clenching his eyes shut. “You’re going to leave me alone with that political nightmare? I didn’t even touch them!” 

Oberon laughed. “Yes, my darlings, that is exactly what I am going to leave you and your Alexander to handle.” 

“I hate you,” Magnus shot back. 

Oberon blew them both a kiss. “Love you too!” 

Alec watched him go and laughed, looking to his siblings. “Thanks for coming out to help.” 

“Yes, because we were just going to abandon you while we watched from safety,” Izzy said with an eyeroll. “Honestly, Alec.” 

Alec looked back at the Institute with a sigh when the sound of a portal opening not far from them. He tensed, stepping in front of Magnus, and sagged in relief when he saw Stephan Lovelace, Head of the New Jersey Institute, stepping through, followed by a dozen shadowhunters. “Little late to the party.” 

Stephan whistled and looked around the field at the ichor he could see coating the ground. “What happened here?” 

“A great deal of powerful magic was used - the extent of which can be explained another day.” 

Magnus lifted his eyes to meet those of Alannia as she stepped through the portal after the Shadowhunters. He managed a smile. “Alannia,” he nodded. 

She smiled faintly at him. “Magnus. Perhaps next time warn us when you need to drain the ley lines.” 

Magnus could feel them now, easier than ever, the faint pulsing as they slowly began to replenish themselves and decided that he could explain exactly why that had been required. “Noted.” 

“Lightwood,” Stephan called. “Did you issue an Institute-wide evacuation?” 

Alec forced himself to nod, the adrenaline from the fight finally starting to fade. “I did,” he managed. “To Idris, per standard protocol.” 

“Good. I’ll take care of getting things re-established,” he said, turning to issue orders to the shadowhunters behind him. 

Izzy stepped up beside Alec, reaching out to touch his arm. “Alec. The security footage-” 

“Delete the part with the Alliance rune,” Alec breathed. He reached out and took Magnus’ hand, tugging him closer. “Leave everything else. I don’t want an investigation.” He turned to Magnus. “That all right?” 

Magnus breathed out slowly. “If you’re sure they won’t come hunting me afterward.” 

Alec’s hand tightened on Magnus’. “They’d have to get through me first.” His eyes met Magnus and he grinned, hard and lethal. “And they should be reminded that I stepped between you and a Prince of Hell before they try anything.” 

Giddiness at the reminder, at the exhibition of Alec’s strength and power to protect him, shot through Magnus and he chuckled. “I wouldn’t want to be the Clave in that case.” 

Clary stepped forward, brushing some of her hair out of her face. “I think we can keep them off your backs for at least a few days. You both go rest.” 

Izzy nodded, drawing herself up. “Absolutely. Both of you get out of here.” 

“Don’t need to tell me twice,” Magnus said, summoning a portal. With a wink and a flick of his fingers, he drew it over them, depositing he and Alexander into the center of the loft. The feel of his wards settled around him and Magnus sighed, leaning into Alec. 

Alec wrapped his arm around Magnus and easily supported his weight. “Come on. Bed for both of us, I think.” 

Magnus nodded, but didn’t make any effort to move. 

Alec hummed and shifted, carefully picking Magnus up, one arm behind his shoulders and the other beneath his knees, striding towards the bedroom. 

Magnus’ eyes went wide and he wrapped an arm around Alec, steadying himself. “Alec!” 

“Magnus,” Alec teased back, smiling down at him as he brought him to the bedroom. “We need to shower, unless you want to clean us up?” 

Getting through the ordeal of a shower was not something he wanted to try to do. Magnus waved a hand, cleaning the both of them and leaving them in nothing more than boxers. “Easy answer.” 

“Read my mind,” Alec whispered, moving towards the bed, getting Magnus tucked in, before climbing in himself, immediately cuddling closer to his husband. This close, it was easy to feel how tense Magnus still was, even exhausted. 

Magnus took a deep breath and relaxed into the scent of sandalwood that always permeated their bedroom. He wrapped an arm around Alec, but his mind wouldn’t quiet, still racing at the power sitting within him, ready to be called upon, no longer separate, but a part of him. 

“You know, I’m supposed to be the overthinker in this marriage,” Alec whispered, kissing Magnus’ shoulder. “But I can feel you. What’s wrong?” 

“Why aren’t you afraid of me?” Magnus asked, staring at the wall behind Alexander. 

Alec hummed and reached down, taking Magnus’ hand, lifting it to his lips to press a kiss to it. “Because you are not your power. You are you, Magnus. I love you, power or not.” He took a deep breath and moved closer to the warlock. “You helped teach me to accept myself, Magnus. Every piece that I wanted to hide from, that I feared to show others - you gave me the courage to step forward as I truly am.” 

Magnus’ breath caught and he breathed out slowly, even as he felt Alexander’s lips touch his forehead again. 

“So why,” Alec paused and kissed Magnus’ temple. “Do you think for a single instant, Magnus, that I would not do the same for you?” 

“But this power-” 

“Magnus,” Alec growled, rolling on top of Magnus, pinning him down to the bed, forcing his husband to meet his eyes, staring into resplendent gold. “Your power, every part of it, is subject to  _ you _ . Your control, your thoughts, feelings, emotions and actions. I don’t fear it, I  _ can’t _ ever fear it, because it isn’t  **you** .” 

Alec pressed their foreheads together, kissing away the tear he saw escape Magnus’ eye. “I told you,” he whispered. “That you are not your magic. That you are so much more than that. That holds true and has never, and will never change.” 

Magnus stared up at his Nephilim, at this remarkable man who was so determined to make him believe his words that the bond between them was singing with it. He reached up and combed his fingers through Alec’s hair, pulling him in for a soft kiss, reveling in it. 

Once they broke apart from the kiss, Alec chuckled and nuzzled into Magnus’ neck. “Can we pause this and continue in the morning? I need to sleep or I’m going to fall asleep when things get interesting.” 

“I’m sure I could convince you to stay  _ engaged _ , Alexander,” Magnus teased, kissing him again. 

Alec groaned and gave Magnus’ skin a quick bite, his pulse quickening at the soft gasp it pulled from Magnus. “I guess you’ll just have to prove it to me then, won’t you?” He pulled back to meet Magnus’ golden eyes and smirked. 

Magnus’ eyes narrowed. “Is that a challenge?” 

Alec raised his eyebrows. “ _ Maybe _ ~” 

Magnus growled and rolled Alec over and into golden sheets, swallowing his laugh with a hard kiss. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also if you wanted to know who the Prince of Hell they're facing is - 
> 
> Seir (also known as Seire, Seere, or Sear) is a Prince of Hell with 26 legions of demons under his command. He can go to any place on earth in a matter of seconds to accomplish the will of the conjurer, bring abundance, help in finding hidden treasures or in robbery, and is not a demon of evil but good nature, being mostly indifferent to evilness. He is depicted as a man riding a winged horse, and is said to be beautiful.
> 
> So he's not naturally evil, but he does strike me as an opportunist, which fits with what he tries to do in this chapter! (Because I needed a Prince of Hell and I liked his description best, ehehehe.) 
> 
> Quick end note - for those who want to see more Oberon - especially as regards his request of Alec coming to him about immortality, there will be an eventual either additional chapter (this is the most likely) which addresses that and showcases exactly what he is going to offer Alec. (Nothing bad, I promise.) 
> 
> Hope that you all enjoy the added splashes of Oberon and a battle scene with a BAMF!Magnus that I was absolutely beyond thrilled to write.


	8. Epilogue Part 1: Immortal Husbands (With a Little Help)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec keeps the promise he made to Oberon years ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this got really long, so it's gonna be split into two parts!! 
> 
> Have y'all missed Oberon?

Six years and seven months had passed since their last conversation, but here he was, standing in front of the gate, exactly as he’d promised. The realization, the thick horror curling in his throat that had driven him here in the first place was still choking him. The instant he’d known, the instant he’d realized, he’d come as quickly as he could. Because now he knew, and he’d made a promise. 

Alec swallowed and reached out to push the buzzer on the door. 

“Alexander Gideon Lightwood-Bane! You are a sight for the sorest eyes! It has truly been too long! Come in, come in!” 

The sound of the gate opening had Alec smiling, some of the ever-present tightness in his chest loosening as he stepped towards the house. Oberon was waiting for him on the front steps, and Alec embraced him, laughing when Oberon gave his bicep a squeeze. 

“The Inquisitor himself, and yet somehow as fit as an active duty shadowhunter,” Oberon sighed, more than a touch of jealousy in his tone. “I truly will have to look into cloning, I refuse to let all the luck in the world be stolen by Magnus!” 

Alec shook his head with a smile, letting Oberon lead him into the house. “Have you been well, Oberon?” 

“Six years are a drop in the bucket for someone who has seen more than a millennia!” Oberon said with a wave, turning to face Alec again. “However,  _ you! _ Look at you. Marriage and fatherhood suit you remarkably well!” 

“Thank you,” Alec said, unable to bite down a smile. “I would agree with you.” But with the mention of fatherhood was the reminder of why he was here today. Why he had left Magnus, confused and come racing to New York as fast as was possible without a direct portal from his husband. 

Oberon hummed and poured himself a drink, taking a slow sip of it, turning to study the shadowhunter. “Well, since you have travelled all of this way, I don’t imagine this is a social call, Mr. Lightwood-Bane! What brings you to New York?” 

Alec took a deep breath and stepped closer to Oberon. The image of Rafael this morning was burned into his mind, Magnus teasing him as he measured his height against the doorframe. Another year, another sign that his son was aging. Would age. Just like him. He opened his eyes and met Oberon’s. 

“ **Ah,** ” Oberon said, abruptly losing some of his jovial nature. 

“You told me,” Alec said, meeting his eyes. “When I was ready to make the difficult decision - the one I fear, and that he fears more? To come here, to you.” 

Oberon hummed in consideration, swirling his drink. “And are you ready to make that decision? I thought it would be another five years at least.” 

“I realized something today,” Alec said, dropping his eyes back to the door. He fidgeted briefly with his hands before forcing himself to continue. “If I allow things to continue as they are, not only will Magnus have to bury me someday…” his voice hitched on the words, and he forced himself to continue. “But he would have to bury our son.  _ Alone. _ ” 

“He would,” Oberon agreed, standing straight and solemn. “While losing you would devastate him in a way that would change him permanently, he has accepted that as the payment required for loving you as deeply as he does.” 

Alec did his best not to flinch at the reminder, but he had known Magnus thought along those lines for years now. 

Oberon hummed and continued. “However, there is little doubt in my mind that the act of burying one of his sons - the one he will lose just like he did you, that would break him.” He gave Alec a knowing look, his eyebrow raised. “In a way I am not certain he could ever come back from.” 

Alec flinched and swallowed. “I know. I know. He was, he was measuring Raphael’s height against the doorframe today and…” He’d caught the expression on Magnus’ face for a fraction of a second and his heart had tightened to the point of shattering. “And I can’t leave him,” he finished, looking back at Oberon. 

Oberon nodded. “So you’ve come to me, as I told you to.” 

“Yes,” Alec said. “I made you a promise, after all.” 

“I wasn’t sure, you know,” Oberon said with a flick of his wrist, refilling his drink. “That you would ever come to me. At least not until after the episode at the Institute.” 

Alec watched as Oberon paced across the room. His normally fluid movements were jerky and it was easy to see there was something bothering him. When Oberon looked to him again, his eyes shining pupil-less cerulean blue, Alec met them, steadily. 

“You know it isn’t a gift,” Oberon continued. “You know it is a burden. You know it is not a guarantee of life, but merely a freeing from the restriction of time.” 

“I do,” Alec said. Magnus had told him as much, the burden that came with loving and having to let go. 

Oberon’s eyes narrowed. “This is not a decision that can ever be taken back.” 

Alec nodded. “The last time I saw you was the wedding, Oberon,” he said, a faint smile on his lips. “But the first time we met, some of your words bordered on premonition. I’ve wondered, often, if you did know, back then.” 

A faint smirk lingered on Oberon’s lips. “Reading destiny is an art form, Mr. Lightwood-Bane, one I have dedicated much of my considerable life to, no matter how my peers laugh at me for it. I would not have made the offer I did if I were not relatively certain of your use of it.” 

The weight of that statement sent a shiver down his spine and Alec met his eyes again. They were still that same unearthly blue. “Then you know what I’m here to ask.” 

“You are here to ask me to begin a lengthy process that must be kept to the utmost levels of secrecy,” Oberon said, tilting his head as he stepped closer to the Nephilim in his lair. “You know you will bury your Parabatai.” 

Alec flinched and took a deep breath, watching Oberon step closer. “And my sister. My little brother.” His voice dropped to a whisper, even as his voice trembled for a fraction of a second. “Eventually, my son.” 

“Yes,” Oberon said. “There is much heartache in your future, Alec Lightwood-Bane.” He smiled faintly and reached out to press a finger to the Nephilim’s heart. “But there is a truly staggering amount of love in your future to accompany it. Only you can decide if the burdens are worth the joy that accompanies them.” 

Alec laughed, shaking his head. “Of _course_ they are.” 

Oberon hummed and raised both his eyebrows at the conviction and certainty in that statement. 

“Oberon,” Alec teased, grinning at him, the tension in his chest from that morning finally starting to loosen. “You’re asking me if the decision Magnus made years ago was the right one. To choose to love me, even though he knew he would one day lose me. If it was worth it.” 

Oberon’s voice turned amused. “I suppose I am, in its own way.” 

“Then how could I answer any other way?” Alec said, continuing to smile. “If this only means I get one more day with him then I would have had otherwise, it will still be worth it, because it is one more day with _him_ and that is worth everything.” 

Oberon chuckled, shaking his head in bemusement. “The two of you are truly remarkable. I wish you understood how much.” 

Alec blinked as Oberon’s eyes flickered back to their normal darker brown. “Was that some sort of test?” 

“Not in the way you are thinking,” Oberon said, tapping Alec on the nose. “I am not one to judge whether you should or should not. However, the magic requires a certain...conviction, shall we say. To be successful.” He gave Alec a coy look. “I did need to ensure you had that before I began.” 

“How is it going to work?” Alec asked, watching the other warlock stride away from him. 

“Next time,” Oberon called. “We’ll be seeing much more of each other, Alec! First, you need to go see your very worried husband!” 

Alec opened his mouth to protest when his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and smiled when he saw Magnus’ name. He looked back up to Oberon who was smirking at him with an indulgent look on his face. 

“Talk to him,” Oberon said. “In detail. When he is ready, we will continue. Not before.” 

Alec took a deep breath and nodded. “All right.” 

“Ta ta for now, dear Shadowhunter!” Oberon said with a wave, disappearing into another room. 

Alec swiped open the call, turning to head towards the front door. 

Magnus huffed. “Alexander, what in Lilith’s name got into you this morning? Rafe was worried, and Max has been beside himself crying and asking for you and-“ 

Alec smiled, shutting the door behind him. “I’m sorry, Magnus.” 

“There’s no need to apologize, just tell me where you are and I’ll be there in a heartbeat. Is everything all right?” Magnus continued. He shifted Max on his hip and used magic to keep his phone tilted against his ear. “Rafael might not have been the only one worried you know.” 

Alec blew out a hard breath and looked at the mansion behind him. “I’m fine,” he managed, clearing his throat. “But…” he hummed and smiled. “Think you can cancel the rest of your clients today? I can call in a babysitting favor with Izzy and Clary.” 

Magnus hummed and pulled up his phone. “I think I can manage that without too much outrage. But are you sure you’re all right, darling? It’s not like you to cancel a day without warning.” 

Alec shot off an email to his assistant and to Aline, then a text to Izzy a moment later before lifting the phone to his ear again. “I can’t play hooky to spend a day with my husband?” he teased. 

Magnus laughed in delight. “Oh, is that what we’re doing?” 

Alec stopped at a flower vendor around the corner from Oberon’s and quickly pulled out his wallet, purchasing a dozen roses from her. “That is exactly what we’re doing,” he said, his voice gaining more certainty. “No kids, no work, just you, me, your drink cart and maybe your record player.” 

“Drinking  _ and _ dancing, Alexander, it’s not even noon!” Magnus gasped in mock horror. “I’ve been a truly wonderful influence on you!” 

Alec laughed and took a deep breath, his chest feeling lighter than it had in months. “Can you make a portal for me?” 

Magnus hummed. “Of course. Where did you run off to?” 

“Corner of 54th and 19th,” Alec said, stepping into the alley behind it. “Right next to that little bistro you always liked to drag me to when you were feeling the desire for-” 

“Ah, proper croissants,” Magnus finished, summoning up a portal for Alec, grinning at his husband when he stepped through a moment later. He blinked in surprise when Alec traded him roses for a still-fussing Max. “Are you trying to romance me Mr. Lightwood-Bane?” he teased. 

Alec tossed Max up and into the air, bringing him close to nuzzle him as he burst into giggles. “That depends, Mr. Lightwood-Bane. Is it working?” 

“I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough,” Magnus said, summoning a vase to put the flowers in, placing them on the coffee table. He watched Alexander blow a raspberry on Max’s head, between his horns, making him burst into laughter all over again. “Well, we certainly know who the favorite parent is this morning.” 

Alec gasped, pressing his forehead to Max’s. “Favorite parent? There’s only one favorite parent in the whole wide world, right Max?” He grinned and rubbed his nose against Max’s. “And that’s Papa, isn’t it?” 

Max threw both his hands up, sparks showering both him and Alec. “Papa, Papa!” 

Alec grinned and looked up at Magnus, his breath catching at the sight of his glamour down. “Look at how pretty Papa’s eyes are Max, aren’t they the prettiest?” When Max made a squeal of delight and reached for Magnus, Alec gladly offered him back over, stealing a kiss from Magnus as he did. 

“Mmm,” Magnus hummed, even as he tried to contain the now-squealing toddler. “What has gotten into you today, Alexander?” 

“I love you,” Alec whispered, stealing another kiss, keeping his hand cupped around Magnus’ jaw, tugging him in again. “I love you so much.” He pulled back to stare at Magnus, pressing their foreheads together. “I’m going to call Aline and make sure my schedule is sorted. Izzy should be here soon. After I’m done we’ll trade?” 

“Sounds perfect,” Magnus breathed, looking up at Alec, unable to keep from smiling at him. “I love you too, Alexander.” He leaned into another soft kiss and watched Alec stride away towards the balcony before looking at Max, finding inquisitive blue eyes staring at him. “I don’t know what’s gotten into Dad either, Max, but I’m not gonna say no! Now, let’s get you ready for a day with Aunt Clary and Aunt Izzy, okay?” 

~!~ 

Alec finished getting his schedule sorted with Aline in a matter of minutes. His skin was buzzing and he wanted nothing more than to blurt the entire plan out to Magnus right now, but he had to try and wait to do this right. Magnus feared this more than he did, Oberon had told him that in the beginning, so he had to do this right. 

“All right, my turn with Max,” he called, sneaking up behind Magnus, nuzzling into his neck, wrapping his arms around Magnus and Max. 

“Max,” Magnus said with a laugh, even as he leaned back against Alec with a hum. “You’re going to have to ask what has gotten into your Daddy, because he’s mystifying even me!” 

Alec carefully took the diaper bag and then the squirming toddler. He smiled and kissed Magnus’ temple. “Go cancel your clients for the day,” he ordered softly. “I promise nothing is wrong. I’m safe, I love you, and I want to spend the day with you.” He felt Magnus relax and nod, stepping away from them both. 

“Papa worry!” Max announced, squirming until Alec shifted him so they were facing each other. He scowled and reached up, tugging on Alec’s shirt. 

Alec smiled and hummed softly, spinning Max around in slow circles as he listened to Magnus sending fire messages and making phone calls. “He always worries, Max. But don’t worry, everything is okay. I promise.” When Max nodded and cuddled against him, Alec grinned and kept up the slow swaying until the doorbell rang. 

“Hey Izzy,” Alec said, laughing as Max immediately began to reach for her. 

“There’s my favorite blueberry!” Izzy cooed, giving Max an eskimo kiss as she picked him up and out of Alec’s arms. “Are you going to come spend the day with me? Are you, huh? Cause your Daddy wants to play hooky?” 

Alec snorted and rolled his eyes. “Don’t go running around saying that. Can’t afford people to be less intimidated by me.” 

Izzy winked at him. “Your secret is safe with me, big brother. Enjoy your day with Magnus. I’ll drop Max and Rafe off tomorrow morning.” 

“Love you,” Alec said, wrapping both of them in a hug. 

“Let’s go say bye to your Papa,” Izzy teased Max, heading towards Magnus’ apothecary. 

Alec watched them go and his heart started to pound. He looked down at his hands with a deep breath and moved into the kitchen, staring at the measurement Magnus had etched into the doorframe earlier that day. He traced his finger over it, even as he called out a goodbye to Izzy and Max as the door shut behind them. He didn’t know how much longer it was before Magnus joined him in the kitchen. 

“Well, Alexander, it looks like we have the day to ourselves. Are you going to tell me what you’re planning now? As much as I would love to believe that you suddenly decided to play hooky, I don’t buy it,” Magnus teased, pressing into his side. “But you did say that nothing was wrong.” 

Alec wrapped an arm around Magnus and pulled him in close, pressing his face against Magnus’ temple, exhaling slowly and with a smile. “Nothing is wrong, I promise. But I had to go somewhere this morning, and I want to talk to you about it.” 

Magnus hummed and smiled. “That sounds much closer to the truth. Do you promise we can still do drinking and dancing?” 

“That,” Alec said with a laugh, turning to pull Magnus into his arms properly. “I am more than happy to promise you.” He kissed Magnus again, soft and gentle. 

“Mmm, good, Magnus purred, pulling back from the kiss to look up at Alec. “So where did you run off to this morning?” 

Alec glanced over at the door frame again and hummed. “I went to go see Oberon,” he admitted. 

Magnus blinked in surprise, his brow wrinkling. “Oberon? Really? Is everything okay?” 

“Yes,” Alec said with a small laugh. “I’d made him a promise, a long time ago, when we first met, and I…” he paused, thinking of the devastated look he’d caught on Magnus’ face and he ached remembering it. “I needed to go see him about it today.” 

“What was the promise?” Magnus asked, frowning up at him. “You said you’re all right, is  _ he _ all right?” 

Alec blew out a hard breath and pulled Magnus close again. “Oberon told me a lot of stuff the first time we met. Stuff I haven’t...really talked to you about,” he admitted. “Not because I didn’t want to,” he added, a bit frantic, pulling back to look at Magnus. “It just…” Alec sighed and flushed. “It scared me, back then. But I understand it now.” 

Magnus frowned, his brows drawn together. “Alexander, you’re not making sense. What are you talking about?” 

“Oberon, he talked about how…” Alec swallowed and tightened his arms around Magnus. “How every few centuries the power the world holds comes to bear. And it’s often manifested in the feelings two people have for each other.” 

Magnus tensed. “Alec-” 

“I know,” Alec breathed. “It scared me too. Terrified me, even, especially back then.” He tightened his arms around Magnus. “But then he asked me, he asked me if I’d walk into Edom for you.” 

Pulling back to stare at Alec, Magnus frowned. “This was long before…” 

“Long before I did,” Alec confirmed. “He also said that you’d give up anything for me and those I care about, and then you did, you gave up your  _ magic, _ Magnus.” 

Magnus swallowed. “Lucky guesses, knowing what Oberon knows about me, but that still doesn’t explain the promise you’re speaking of.” 

Alec took a deep breath. “Right. Getting there. Well, he said that we’d bend the world to our vision of it,” He turned and looked out the window at Alicante. “Magnus, you’re the first High Warlock of Alicante. Dozens of Institutes are starting to follow the example of New York and establish council meetings with their local downworld.” 

Magnus blinked and tilted his head, agreeing to the point. “Yes, you’re right.” He followed Alec’s gaze to the demon towers and then back to his husband and smiled with a chuckle. “First officially sanctioned marriage between a shadowhunter and a downworlder, as well.” 

“Exactly,” Alec said with a smile, stealing a soft kiss from Magnus. “But then he told me one last thing, and I didn’t know what it meant. Not until this morning.” 

“And what was that?” Magnus asked, holding onto Alec tighter. He couldn’t help wondering if Oberon had perhaps planned some of this. He took a deep breath. “You, you don’t owe him anything, or-” 

“No,” Alec said, shaking his head. “He…” he swallowed. “He told me, when I was ready to make the difficult decision, the one that I feared, and that you feared more, to come to him first.” 

Magnus frowned, tilting his head. “What does that mean, exactly? What decision do you fear, that I fear more?” 

Alec swallowed, gathering all of his courage and shifted, reaching up to cup Magnus’ cheeks in his palms. “I’m not going to leave you, Magnus,” he said, keeping it simple. When Magnus’ eyes narrowed in confusion, he added. “Not in ten years, not in fifty, and not in a hundred, Magnus.” 

Magnus tensed, his eyes flying wide as he took a step back, away from Alec. “Alexander-”

“I can’t do it,” Alec whispered. “That’s what I realized earlier. I can’t…” he sucked in a frantic breath, his heart beating too hard in his chest. “I can’t leave you alone, I can’t leave you alone to someday bury Rafe, Magnus,  _ I can’t, _ ” he repeated. He watched Magnus’ face crumple in devastation before it smoothed out. 

“Alexander,” Magnus said, taking a slow, deep breath, trying to force down the panic clawing at his throat. “While I don’t deny that…” he could barely force himself to say the words. “Losing you both will be the worst pain I’ve ever experienced, it isn’t something I could ever wish on you. _Ever.”_

Alec took a step closer, wanting to reach out and touch Magnus, afraid he would pull away again. “But you aren’t,” he breathed, waiting for wet golden eyes to meet his. “You aren’t wishing, you aren’t asking, Magnus. I, I know you never would. I’m making a choice.” He swallowed. “Am, am I scared? Am I terrified?” Alec shrugged. “Of course I am, Magnus.” 

Magnus wanted to laugh, even as he shook his head, tears falling down his cheeks. “Alec, please, I can’t…” 

“But,” Alec said, taking a deep breath, reaching out to cup Magnus’ cheek, wiping away some of his tears. “Just like stepping off that altar for the first time, I’m much less scared if I know I’m going to be holding your hand through all of it.” He felt Magnus tremble harder, and reached out with his free hand, wrapping an arm around his waist. 

Magnus leaned into Alec’s hand, reaching out to tangle his fingers in the button up shirt that Alec was wearing, breathing hard, trying to think through all the thoughts flying through his head. “Alexander…” 

“Magnus,” Alec echoed back, his voice soft. _“I know._ I know it’s going to be hard. There are going to be impossibly tough and painful times to bear ahead.” He paused and swept his finger along Magnus’ cheek again. “But I know I can bear every single one of them, if I get to hold your hand and love you while I do.” 

Magnus took a shaky breath and looked up, meeting Alec’s eyes, the certainty in them, the lack of fear. He tightened his hands in Alec’s shirt, pulling him in close again. “Alec,” he whispered. “Are you sure?” 

“Yeah,” Alec breathed back, pressing their foreheads together. “Long as that’s what you want, if you, you know. Want your forever with me.” 

Magnus wanted to laugh, even as he pulled Alec in closer to him. “My forever with you might be the only forever I’m not terrified of, Alexander.” 

“Good,” Alec breathed against Magnus’ lips. “I love you, Magnus.” 

Magnus closed his eyes tight and tried to breathe, even as his heart kept pounding. “I love you more than I ever thought it possible to love someone, Alexander.” 

The reminder, and the quiet certainty of the words settled the last of the ache in his chest. Alec breathed freely and held onto Magnus as tightly as he dared. “What do you say to a dance, Magnus?” 

Magnus gave a wet laugh and opened his eyes to look up at his husband. “Only if you promise to step on my toes, Alexander.” 

Alec laughed, leaning in to kiss Magnus again as music filled the loft. “Someday, there will be someday, when I don’t step on your toes.” 

“When that day comes,” Magnus admitted, his heart singing at the idea that it would be here, that it  _ would  _ be a part of their future. “I might just miss it.” 


	9. Epilogue Part 2: Immortal Husbands (With a Little Help...and an Unexpected Guest)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final (probably) chapter!! 
> 
> ....with a slightly unexpected cameo from another show...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Qinemru uses they/them pronouns and is an original character! 
> 
> Also want to thank the truly INCREDIBLE Lawsofchaos for not only the betaing of this chapter but for making sure A CERTAIN SOMEONE was as in character as possible!!! <3

_ It took thirteen months.  _

Thirteen months of planning, of conversations that were both long and short. Thirteen months of gathering ingredients, of tossing out demon names until the knowledge of both Magnus and Oberon had been depleted and they'd needed to extend the circle, just enough, to find a demon who might take the deal. 

Catarina, of course, had been the next warlock they had gone to, and while she did not  _ necessarily  _ approve of the idea of Alec becoming a warlock, she understood, after Alec sat down and had a long conversation with her about why. He learned more about Magnus with her. Things that Magnus hadn't told him, and in many ways, couldn't tell him. She told him what Camille had truly done to Magnus, things that Alec will never forgive her for. (And he just might stake her if he ever got the chance, because she certainly deserved it, several times over.) 

Magnus, of course, knew about the conversations with Catarina and had given his full permission for them. But Alec knew he was still worried, still afraid. So after he was done, and Catarina had agreed to start looking for a demon that would fit their criteria, Alec turned his focus to Magnus. He went home and wrapped Magnus in his arms for hours, holding onto him tight, a reminder that he wasn’t going to let go. That he wasn't going anywhere. He was  _ never _ going to go anywhere, and he would spend the rest of his immortal life proving that to Magnus until it was considered another fact of his universe. 

~!~

_ It took thirteen months _ to understand exactly what would happen to Alec, and for him to establish a successor in his place. Alec had a feeling that Aline suspected, though she would never go so far as to say it out loud. 

She had started to look at him differently, as though she understood. Whenever he and Magnus were together, her eyes would soften, as though she knew they were trying to savor their time together. Alec had a feeling that once she found out exactly what they were doing, she would also know why he had worked so hard to create a Downworlder Liaison position but had left it unfilled. 

His excuse if anyone asked was that he had more important things on his plate that second than teaching a downworlder every single relevant Nephilim custom and practice. But when it came down to it, he wasn't about to give up the work he was doing for anything. His new life would simply require him to do it from a different angle, and this would be the perfect way to make that happen while ruffling as few feathers as possible. And while she didn't,  _ couldn’t _ know, Alec had a feeling that she knew she was going to be offered the position of Inquisitor soon enough. 

The concern of who would step in as Consul (and hearing Magnus say that he was the obvious choice, to all of the Shadow World) made him smile, but it wasn't enough to make him stop. They had timelines, and they were not going to let this opportunity slide past, no matter how many roadblocks were thrown in front of them. So he sorted the problem, as best he could, got Aline into place, set up a position for himself, and tried to button up as many things as he could before it was time. 

~!~

_ Thirteen months _ of conversations with his mother, his parabatai, his sister, and then his little brother, and both their boys. 

His mother was the hardest, but also the most understanding. She had smiled at him, so sadly, and then hugged him until all of her tears had dried. Alec wanted to reassure her, to tell her that it was going to be all right, that he would watch after their family as long as he lived, but that wasn't what she wanted. He reminded her, quietly, gently, that this was going to make him happy, and that he was going to make Magnus happy for the rest of his (theirs, theirs, now) life. And if there ever was a person who deserved to be happy after everything they had gone through, it was  _ Magnus. _

His sister was the easiest. She laughed and hugged him and said that she'd seen it coming all along, and asked what she could do to help. While there wasn't anything (other than the work he had started that had to continue, it couldn't stop, not ever), at that moment, he appreciated her unflinching support. And through her, Simon's, and that of the local downworld as they slowly started to understand that  _ something _ was going on. Something was, but he couldn't tell them, couldn't make them aware. Not yet. 

His parabatai, his brother, his  _ Jace, _ was not as painful as he'd thought, but it hurt. It hurt more than losing Jace at Lake Lynn. When Magnus had found them in the loft later that night, bruised and battered from a training session where they'd hidden from the conversation, Alec knew he wasn’t surprised. Even then, he remained curled up against Jace and tried to explain, that it really was the only way they could understand each other perfectly. But Magnus knew because he always did. And Jace, with the bond forced more open than it had been in decades, knew as well. Even though Jace's heartache was palpable and Alec choked on it, drowned in it, just a little, he could feel how happy Jace was for him on the same hand. 

Max and Rafe had taken the conversation better than he'd ever expected. But, as Magnus had warned him, he had no doubt that there would be a much longer conversation with Rafe in the future. A conversation about choices, and about what to do with their lives and to live them according to their hearts. As it was, Alec spent a long time with him, explaining that Rafe could love whoever he liked, vampire, seelie, warlock, nephilim, or mundane, and he would be supported. And until he knew, until he knew forever, to make any decisions was not the right choice. Max had been, predictably, thrilled, and it wasn't long before his excitement had caught on with Rafe, and Alec had been able to breathe easy. 

Max, when he'd come to the New York Institute on his rounds, hadn't been as difficult as he'd imagined. He had known, the second Alec had tried to start the conversation. He'd managed to blurt out all the promises he had made the others, that he would always take care of them, that he would be here, no matter how much they might try to drive him away, only to have his little brother roll his eyes and hug him tight. To hear from his brother that he was as happy, even excited for them. It eased something he hadn’t known he needed to hear Max excited that he was going to spend forever with Magnus. 

~!~

_ Thirteen months  _ of rare ingredients prepared, of rituals designed, torn apart, redesigned, and refigured. 

Alec watched as Magnus tore down another ritual with a growl of frustration and wanted to hug him close, tell him it was all right, that they would find the answer. But already, he and Oberon were deep in things again, debating and redrawing, with Catarina and Qinemru offering suggestions from afar. This was nothing he could help with, and he was only here because he couldn't not be, and Magnus understood because he always did with things like that. The ritual, the summoning, all of it had to be done at once, and it would require layers of spells on top of each other, all of it tied to Alec in a way that was hopefully going to work the way they wanted to. 

They needed time, and they had some. Hopefully enough.

Alec watched as they started to draw again, going through the list of requirements, the pentagram once again taking slow shape. They were going to figure it out. They were going to. They  _ had _ to. 

~!~

_ Thirteen months  _ of meeting Oberon's significant other, Qinemru, of getting to know them just as well as he did Magnus and Oberon, in order for the ceremony to work the way it did. 

Meeting Qinemru, the first-ever Unseelie that he had seen outside of the fae realm, had been a surprise. Even more of a surprise had been Oberon's announcement that Qinemru was his partner in all things and that they'd been married for centuries. The reminder was enough to make Alec smile, especially as it was clear that there was a truth to the words. The way the two of them moved together with easy familiarity made his chest ache and it was everything that he wanted with Magnus for their future together. 

It was strange how similar and dissimilar the Unseelie were to the Seelie. And with that understanding, somehow, for the first time, Alec began to understand exactly what was going to be involved in the ceremony. How his angelic blood would be pulled out, the power removed, and the blood,  _ only _ the blood shared with a demon, to prevent the demon from getting too powerful, from being too much. The power would be split between the three who could handle it and would perform the ceremony - Magnus, Oberon, and Qinemru. 

The more they talked, the more he understood the ceremony, the more Alec found himself liking Qinemru (Oberon hated it and that, honestly, made it even better), because it was rare to find someone with a drier sense of humor than his own. It was easier than he expected to learn that though he would be an immortal, and though he would lose his family, all he had known… Despite that, he would also have friends, these people that he was meeting and forming lasting relationships with, to be there with him and Magnus through the centuries. 

~!~

After that, there were another three months to wait for everything to be in proper alignment so the timing was right and the powers that needed to be drawn on were at their peak. 

There were the moon and the planets, and even a few of the stars. There were the solstices (and how the ceremony needed to be perfectly between two of them), and other names of things he didn't recognize, but Qinemru was always pointing out and bringing up. The Unseelie felt  _ more _ in the world, he'd learned, and were able to catch things that could cause issues with the ceremony that they were going to perform. 

Alec didn't know if it was Oberon, once again, twisting things in their favor, but knowing that this would be their only chance in more than a century did seem to suggest that in some capacity. Qinemru had only laughed and shaken their head when he asked, but that only made it seem more certain that he was right. Oberon, old as he was, had told him, more than once, that reading destiny was an art form, and he had been around long enough to practice. So perhaps it was. 

And then. 

_ Then. _

After  _ everything. _ After the planning, the replanning, the organizing, the setting up of the dominos, all of it. 

They were  _ ready.  _

Alec took a vacation. It was a light excuse, but it was enough. There was very little activity going on, and there was no one that could contest it. It was even close enough to their anniversary that he got more smiles and winks than he had ever wanted to get in his entire life. Especially from stuffy Clave officials. 

But then everything was aligned, everything was ready. The boys would stay with Maryse and Luke, Isabelle and Jace knew there were going to be fluctuations with the ley lines and an active demon summoning that would show up on radars. They were ready, and all of them knew their parts. 

Alec blew out a hard breath and pushed his fingers through his hair, heading towards Oberon's mansion. His warding, his home, was the safest place to do this in, they'd all agreed, every time that they had discussed it, but that didn't mean he couldn't wish, in the privacy of his own head, that they were doing this in the loft. 

Opening the gate (since Oberon had long since given him a key), Alec headed for the front door, tension draining from him as he approached. He was going to become immortal tonight. Tonight would be the start of forever with Magnus. Tonight was going to be the start of the rest of their lives in a whole new way, and he could not wait. 

_ Thirteen months _ worth of work had led to tonight, and he could not  _ wait.  _

~!~ 

Alec stepped through the doorway and closed the door behind him, looking around the foyer. A brief moment of listening told him that Oberon was in the apothecary, likely ensuring all of the ingredients needed for the summoning were fresh. He headed for the kitchen. He hadn't had a chance to eat anything, and Oberon always kept fresh fruit on hand for him. 

"Alec, is that you and Magnus?" Oberon called. 

"You know it's creepy that you know what my footsteps sound like," Alec shouted back at him, grinning at the sight of mandarins in the bowl in the kitchen. He grabbed two and began to quickly peel them. "But no, it's just me. Magnus said that he'd be along shortly, he had to finish up with a client. He'll be here before sundown." 

Oberon laughed and breezed into the kitchen, loose blue silken pants and jacket hanging off his shoulders. "Leaving you all to me, is he?" 

Alec rolled his eyes and peeled off a piece of a mandarin to eat with a happy hum. "As though you aren't a happily married man to Qinemru," he shot back with an eye roll. 

"We have an understanding when it comes to you and Magnus," Oberon said with a wave of his hand. "If either of you ever wants to share our bed, well, neither of us will say no." 

Alec snorted and coughed, dislodging the mandarin from his throat. That sounded...just like the both of them enough that it could be actually plausible. "You have...excuse me?" 

Oberon grinned and winked, taking a banana for himself. "You're both irresistible, what can I say?" 

"Oh shut up," Alec grumbled, focusing on his mandarin. He couldn't help some of the nervousness in his chest, but they'd done the dry run last night and they had everything. They were ready. Things were going to go perfectly. They were ready, they just had to make it happen, now. 

"Would you like something to drink?" Qinemru offered, entering the kitchen from downstairs. "It might be good to calm some of your nerves." 

As much as Alec would have loved to take him up on that, it would be a horrible idea. He shook his head. "The last thing we need is me potentially stumbling over the Latin mid-ceremony. Wouldn't do to have the wrong demon show up." 

Qinemru hummed in acknowledgment and poured a drink. "Dearest?" 

"Absolutely!" Oberon said, taking a glass from Qinemru. "Thank you, my darling. Now, we're just missing your errant husband. What was he doing taking clients today? Honestly." 

Alec snorted and rolled his eyes. "This was an emergency or he never would have bothered. He told me as much." 

"I'm sure it was," Oberon muttered. "It's always an emergency when it is someone else that needs help." He tossed his head and looked at the door at the back of the kitchen. "Shall we head downstairs and start to get things prepared for him?" 

Alec reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, sending Magnus a quick text to let him know to head straight downstairs before he turned his phone off and left it on the counter. Magnus would be here soon and he didn't want to have his phone getting broken. That would be a nightmare considering how many people he needed to call once the ceremony was over. 

~!~ 

Magnus finished the intricate warding with one last flick of his hands and huffed, turning back to the client who had been nothing but trouble for him and offered the biggest smile that he could. "There. Now, if you will excuse me, I do have another appointment that I need to attend to." 

He didn't bother to wait for them to answer before he summoned a portal. Before he could step through it though, a small light flickered to life on his shoulder and Magnus stared at it in horror as it flashed a deep, bright red. 

Magnus shifted the location of the portal with a flick of his fingers and sprinted through it. 

~!~

Oberon tapped his foot impatiently, looking at the clock on the wall with a frown. "He should have been here by now. He knows that we need to start by sundown." 

Alec frowned and looked to Catarina, who was on her phone, but she shook her head. "Still nothing?" 

"No," she said, frowning. "He's in Alicante, I did a location search on him, but I can't get through the wards like he can." 

"And normally I would, but I don't feel like advertising to your leadership I can do that, or doing that right before I'm going to need to contain a demon," Oberon said with a huff, his hands on his hips as he strode across the room. 

Alec looked up at the stairs. "Do you want me to go get my phone? I can call him." 

"I don't think he'd answer your calls if he isn't answering mine," Catarina said with another frown, staring down at her cell phone. "I haven't heard of anything else- what the hell could he be doing? No client is more important than this, something had to have happened." 

"Regardless," Qinemru said, looking around at them. "No matter the reason for his delay, we have to begin. If we do not, we risk all of our work being for nothing." 

Oberon pressed his fingers to his temples and sighed in frustration. "You're right, I know you're right, love, but that doesn't make it any easier." 

"Can I help?" Catarina asked. "Be the missing piece?" 

Alec's eyes slid over to Catarina, but even as she asked it he already knew the answer. She couldn't be because she wouldn't be able to pull the power out of his blood. That was something unique to Magnus, Qinemru, and Oberon. 

"No," Oberon said with a huff, rolling up his sleeves. "We'll just have to manage on our own. We should be fine. I have enough experience to manage it, and Qinemru will have to stay topside for a little while longer to burn it off." 

Alec frowned, looking back at the Unseelie. "Are you alright with that?" 

Qinemru smiled faintly and raised their eyebrows. "And what would you do if I said I wasn't?" 

Alec narrowed his eyes at Qinemru, waiting them out until he caught the brief quirk of lips. “Tell you to suffer.” 

“Ah, well, good for me that I enjoy a little suffering.” 

Alec coughed. “Didn’t need to know that,” he managed, his voice hoarse. 

“Is he always this delightfully innocent?” Qinemru asked, looking to Oberon. “Well, at least he’s distracted, now.” 

“Yes, thank you,” Alec managed and sighed, pushing his fingers through his hair, worry for Magnus making him fidget. He didn't want to have to do this without Magnus, but if the alternative was not doing it at all... "Fuck," he breathed, looking to each of them. "Alright, let's start. If the two of you can handle it, we have to." 

He got both of their nods and stepped into the center of the summoning circle. The open space was just large enough for him to stand in, and the rest of the magic would be laid on top of him as his blood was pulled out of him. Alec took a deep breath and settled himself, closing his eyes before giving a firm nod. "Let's begin." 

Catarina watched as Oberon and Qinemru stepped into their spots, and she couldn't help her eyes going to the open spot that should have belonged to Magnus. She looked back down at her phone and hit the call button again, lifting it to her ear. "Magnus, where the hell are you?" she hissed, even as the phone went to voicemail. 

~!~ 

"We are under attack!" 

"Tell me something I don't know," Magnus shouted back, sending another blast of magic into the wave of demons that were fighting to get through the wards. All of the wards around Alicante were glowing a vibrant, pulsing red, indicating the strength of the attack, and Magnus could feel them weakening even like this. 

"Pull back, fuck!" He ducked under the swipe of another wing and threw a fireball, a snarl in his throat. "Pull back, regroup at the Institute!" He ordered, pulling some of the magic from the wards to drive the demons back enough to let the Shadowhunters scramble through the opening that he was creating. 

Once the wards were closed behind him, he felt them ripple as demons hit the structure, ripping and clawing at it. The demon towers were firing, but the wards continued to be attacked, and Magnus could feel them straining under the pressure. 

"High Warlock Bane!" 

Magnus spun around, not bothering to correct the name for now - they had bigger problems. "What?" He growled. He glanced at his watch and his stomach sank. It was sundown in New York. That meant they would have had to start the ceremony without him. 

"There's something approaching, sir. From the southern border." The shadowhunter pointed to where the sky was steadily darkening. "Our censor maps indicate that that is where most of the demons are starting to gather and where we should focus our attack." 

Magnus swore again as a roar began to echo in the distance and he felt dread sink deeper into his chest. This was no simple demon attack. This was something more. This was deeper, bigger than that. He turned back to the shadowhunter and started to move, striding towards the main thoroughfare. "You need to call Isabelle Lightwood at the New York Institute. She needs to contact the Seelie Queen, immediately, and tell her I am going to power the Alicante wards with the local ley lines." 

The shadowhunter's eyes widened. "You're, you're what?" 

"I don't have time!" Magnus snarled. "Call her, now. And hope to your precious angel that I can manage it before the city is overwhelmed!" He started to run, summoning magic to his hands, the full power of Edom responding to his call as he sprinted for the growing darkness that was making the wards glow bright red. 

~!~ 

Oberon frowned as soon as he started to lay the magic over Alec, wrapping him carefully in it, glad that Qinemru was able to step into much of Magnus' role and ensure that it draped the proper way around him. By the time they'd laid the second ritual circle on him and started the third, the feeling of wrongness was growing. 

"Oberon?" Alec called, looking over at him, hoping that it wouldn't break his concentration. "What is that? I can... I can feel it now." 

"A great deal of power is being drained from the ley lines," Qinemru said, their eyes fluttering halfway shut. "They are almost being drained. And something, several things, have stepped onto this plane that are not meant to be here. They are angry." 

Alec's eyes flew to Catarina and he saw the worry growing on her face. "Call Izzy," he ordered her. "Call her and find out what's going on." 

Oberon took a deep breath and refocused, laying another wave of silver magic on top of Alec's shoulders. "Even if we do find out what is going on, it doesn't matter. We can't stop now that we've begun, and even if Magnus was here, I don't know that we could include him." 

Alec took a deep breath and watched the silver magic touch the pentagram on the floor, making it light up and tie him into position. It was heavier than the others, but he focused on breathing, on drawing breath, in and out. It was going to be alright, he would finish, and then whatever was happening, he would go to help. He didn't know how long it was until he felt both Oberon and Qinemru stop moving. 

"Are you ready, Alec?" Qinemru asked. "This is the point of no return. You cannot turn back after this." 

Alec squared his shoulders and met the eyes of the Unseelie and then Oberon's eyes with a smile. "I was sure the day I came to tell Oberon what I wanted." 

Oberon smiled faintly. "It will hurt. Hold onto yourself as need be. But without Magnus here, I won't be able to dampen-" 

"Do what you need to do, Oberon," Alec said, giving the warlock a faint smile. "I'm an old friend with pain." 

"A man after my own heart. We will be as quick as we can," Qinemru said. 

Oberon's heart ached at the resigned nod from Alec, but he met Qinemru's gaze and smiled, closing his eyes and using his magic to reach into the shadowhunter. Without Magnus to dull the pain and ease the touch, Alec screamed, his whole body straining as Oberon used his magic to separate out Alec's angelic blood, pulling it out of him, drop by drop. 

Alec panted hard as he felt Oberon's magic start to pull at him again and was unable to suppress another shout. It felt like there was something being ripped out of him, piece by piece. He clenched his hands into his jeans and forced himself to keep breathing. Whatever was keeping Magnus away had to be serious, and as soon as they were done, he was going to race to Magnus' side and help, however he could. None of the others would stop him, not Oberon, not Izzy, no one. 

Then, abruptly, it was over and Alec nearly crashed to the ground. He locked his knees and forced himself to breathe, over and over again, as he felt the ceremony lull, a brief pause before the next step. "Everyone okay?" he asked, his voice hoarse from the shouting. 

"Fuck, that would have been so much easier with Magnus here," Oberon said with a grunt, holding Alec's blood in a magical bubble a few feet in front of him. He looked to Qinemru and the sweat that had broken out on his face. "You still doing okay, love?" 

"As well as can be expected," Qinemru promised. Their eyes darted over to Catarina. "If we have a moment, I would like to pause before we continue. The next part will be very trying for me." 

Alec took a deep breath as he felt the circle  _ settle _ in a way that it hadn't before, and he was able to take a moment to let the pain start to fade. In the silence though, it was easy to hear Catarina's gasp, and the ring of her cell phone. His eyes darted over to her as her phone was held to her ear and he watched her glamour ripple, her eyes wide in shock before she snapped it into place. The emotions that washed over her face made the uncomfortable feeling in his gut tighten and he waited for her to finish the call. 

"Alicante is under attack," Catarina said. She looked at Alec. "That's why Magnus isn't here. He's the only thing that's able to fend them off. He tied the wards into the local ley lines to keep them up. It's draining them dry and he'll have to stop, soon. That's what we all felt." 

Alec's breath caught in his chest. "What, what the hell is attacking the city?" 

Oberon grunted, closing his eyes as he reached out. "Looks like someone is here for revenge. Now that Magnus stepped into his power, properly, my grandfather decided that he would bring some friends to attack and displace him." 

Alec's eyes snapped to Oberon. "You're...Seir is back?" 

Oberon nodded, opening his eyes to meet Alec's. "And better than that, he's brought friends. There are at least two other Princes that I can feel on this plane, and that's just the ones I recognize the signature of." 

Staring in horror at the warlock, Alec's mind raced as he tried to think through what was happening. "We, we have to-" 

"We can't stop," Qinemru snapped, making everyone look at them. "You will die the second you step out of that circle if we stop now. Your blood is floating in front of you, magically tied to you. If you have nothing to replace it, your heart will stop the second we drop the spells." 

"Fuck," Alec swore, his eyes snapping to Catarina. "He can't hold them off forever, it's just him. You, you have to-" 

"Magnus has ordered no assistance," Catarina said, meeting Alec's eyes, her own sorrowful. "The city has been evacuated. I don't know what he's planning to do, Alec, but he's not going to sacrifice anyone other than himself to do it." 

Alec growled under his breath and he stared down at the ground, stuck, tied to the spell, unable to move. He took a deep breath and forced himself to focus. He had to finish this. "Then, we have to finish this. And the last thing I will ask you for is a portal to Alicante." 

Oberon stared at the shadowhunter in front of him. "Alec-" 

"No," Alec said, holding up his hand, shaking his head. "I will stand side by side with him. I don't care where and what we are facing. I will always stand by his side, just like he will always stand by mine." 

"All right," Oberon said, his voice softening. "Let's finish this." 

Alec swallowed hard and clenched his eyes shut. There was no one that could save Alicante. No one could protect them now. Would the armies even stop after Magnus was dead? Would they keep going? How much of the world would they reach or destroy? Who would stop them? Was there anyone that could stop multiple Princes of Hell? 

"Qinemru?" Oberon asked, looking over to them. "Are you ready to continue?" 

"Yes," Qinemru said, their voice quiet. "We must pull his magic out of his blood now." They closed their eyes and reached for the white, shining magic that they could feel, suffused into the blood they had pulled from the shadowhunter. The acidic taste of angelic power swarmed through them and they choked down the sensation, pulling more of it. 

_ "Fuck," _ Oberon swore, twisting his fingers as he carefully, slowly, gently, tugged the power from the blood in front of Alec Lightwood. "Shadowhunters and those old bloodlines," he grumbled. "More powerful than you will ever give yourselves credit for," he snarled. 

Alec watched as, piece by piece, the blood in front of him started to lose the silver sheen. He could see, and in many ways,  _ feel, _ now, the weight that Qinemru and Oberon were taking onto themselves in order to be doing what they were. But there was still nothing that he could do to stop it. He bit down on his lip and forced himself to think. 

The Princes of Hell, the sons of Lucifer, the angels who had been a part of his battalion in the battle of Heaven and Hell, the ones that had been cast down. There was no one they answered to, divine warriors in their own right. They answered to none and fought amongst themselves. If they were working together, coming for Magnus, there would be no stopping them. There was no one that could stop them. 

_ Except...  _

Alec lifted his head and watched the last of the silver start to fade from the blood that had been pulled out of him. 

**Except.**

There was someone they would listen to. There was one demon, only  _ one, _ that they might all listen to, that they would retreat for. And if he could somehow convince that demon to help him, to do what was needed, then maybe,  _ maybe _ he could save Magnus. Could prevent Alicante and the rest of the world from being overrun by demons. From being destroyed. 

"Now, Alec, _now!"_ Oberon shouted, pulling the last of the power out of the angelic blood, groaning under the weight of it. He could see Qinemru swaying on their feet and was glad when Catarina stepped in, carefully propping them up. He turned his focus back to the inner circle as he watched Alec step forward, Latin falling easily from his lips. He mouthed the ceremony as Alec said it, watched as Alec pressed his fingers into the blood to use the summoning circle in front of him and then...paused. 

"Alec!" The shadowhunter didn't look at him, had paused in his chanting, staring at his fingertips coated in his own blood. He could feel the moon and the ley lines under them pulsing with the gathered power. "Alec, you have to do it now!" 

The name that fell from Alec's lips wasn't the one they had chosen. It was never one that would respond to such a summons, and, even if he did... Oberon barely had time to throw wards up around Catarina and Qinemru before a _presence_ descended into the summoning circle. 

Alec stared in shock at the man, near his height, staring at him. He was wearing oven mitts and a pink, ruffled apron. He blinked. This was Lucifer, the Morningstar? The devil himself? 

"It's rude to interrupt people, you know,” the man drawled, keen eyes taking in the inhabitants of the room he’d been summoned to. He’s apparently unconcerned by his indecorous accessories as he doesn’t so much as bother removing his oven mitts before propping one hand on his pink-garbed hip “I was in the  _ middle _ of something." 

Alec shook himself, snapping to attention. "We, we need your help. Desperately." 

Lucifer's eyebrow raised. "And you called  _ me _ for help?” His delighted tone made the question sound even more incredulous than it likely was. “Did you get the wrong number?" He asked, his hip cocking out and his head tilting in exaggerated disbelief. Alec shook aside a moment of sudden disconcertion at the man’s brief similarity to Magnus when he was in a particularly playful mood.

"We, we, fuck," Alec took a deep breath and ordered himself to focus. Oberon and Qinemru were silent, and he didn't know if that was from horror or because Lucifer was keeping them quiet, but the deal was up to him- it had always been up to him to make the deal. "Me, not we." He took another breath. "I am offering up my blood. Angelic blood. Pure angelic blood. I had hoped to offer it in exchange for demonic blood." 

When Lucifer's eyes sharpened on him, playfulness dying away, Alec bit down on his lip and continued. "I, my husband. He's a warlock. I'm a Nephilim. I'm offering my blood in exchange for the blood of a demon, so I can, so we can have, have as much time together as possible." 

Lucifer tilted his head and stared at the boy in front of him and looked down at the floor, at the spells that were binding them together and hummed. What a fascinating bit of magic. He'd never seen it tied together like this either, all wound into the conviction of the individual doing the summoning. But even still, no matter how pure the intention, there was only one answer to be given to such a request. 

"Absolutely not," Lucifer said. "My blood is too powerful. And I have no interest in creating a weapon that could run around and devastate this world. I've grown rather fond of it, despite what you may hear of me." 

Desperation made Alec step forward, growling. "We need a weapon, or my home, Alicante, is going to be overrun by the Princes of Hell that are attempting to take over this plane and kill my husband!" 

Lucifer blinked and raised his eyebrows. "Really now?" 

"Can't you feel it?" Alec snapped, gesturing towards the weight of the magic that he could feel now, especially tied to the ritual the way that he was. "Or did I summon the wrong Morningstar?" 

Lucifer hummed and turned his eyes away from the boy, looking in the direction he had pointed. 

Alec could feel the weight in the room grow and Lucifer's eyes seemed to flash. He got the sense that Lucifer was looking far beyond the stone walls of the basement, but where his expression had been hard and closed off before, now it was growing contemplative and he forced himself to wait until Lucifer looked at him again. He straightened his spine. 

Lucifer waved away the oven mitts and apron and pushed his hands into his pockets, studying the boy in front of him. A faint grin began to curl his lips. So this was the boy that had married Asmodeus' son. "You're Alec Lightwood-Bane, aren't you?" 

Hearing Lucifer speak his name so easily sent a shudder down his spine and Alec swallowed, forcing himself to nod. "I am." 

Lucifer hummed again and stepped closer, his hands still in his pockets, until he was mere inches away from Alec. In an instant, he let his human glamour fall away and stood in front of the boy in his true form, a low, rumbling growl escaping his throat. 

Alec narrowed his eyes and tilted his head back, meeting the hellfire gleaming in Lucifer’s gaze, glaring at him in full force. If Lucifer thought he was going to be intimidated by some show of force, he had another thing coming. Magnus needed help and he was going to get it, no matter what it took. He waited, tense, for Lucifer to say anything, to offer something up, but there was nothing and he growled, pushing his fingers through his hair. 

"I don't have time for this," he snapped. "Whatever test you're trying to see if I pass or not, either help me or leave." 

Lucifer hummed and stepped back into his human form a second later, continuing to study the boy in front of him, a small smile curling his lips. "And what will you do if I leave, Mister Lightwood-Bane? Your ceremony will have failed, and you will be mundane, not even a Nephilim." 

Alec lifted his chin and kept his glare leveled at Lucifer. "If this doesn't work, I'll be portaling to Alicante to die at Magnus' side. Where I belong." 

Lucifer huffed and rolled his eyes.  _ "Humans. _ So passionate. So ridiculous. You get worse as time goes on." He tapped a finger against his arm and tilted his head back and forth, considering. "You remind me of someone I know, someone I very much enjoy the company of. I should have expected that this would happen after a few years." 

Alec frowned, confused, but waited. Lucifer hadn't given an answer beyond his initial response, but he seemed to be considering something. 

"Alright then," Lucifer said, grinning, dark and promising. "I'll agree to give you my blood, boy. But there are conditions." 

Alec lifted his chin and met Lucifer's eyes calmly. He ignored the shouted protest of Oberon and Catarina and smiled. "Name them." 

"Oh I do like you," Lucifer said, his grin brightening. 

~!~ 

Magnus grunted and severed the connection to the ley lines when they gave one last weak sputter of power and turned the last of his magic to the wards. Alicante was lit red under them, but the city had been evacuated. All non-essential personnel and families were gone, just the shadowhunters who had stayed to fight with him left. 

Turning to look over his shoulder, Magnus watched Aline approach as another blow hit the wards, the magic shuddering under the weight of it. 

"Magnus," Aline said, stepping closer. "You have to drop the wards. Let them bring the fight to us. We'll stand with you." 

Magnus swallowed hard and met her eyes, the resolution in them obvious. It was the same resolution that he watched Alec show so often. She'd learned it from him, in a way. "You need to go," he said, his voice hoarse as he stared at her. "You all need to go. Take Helen and run, Aline. Run as far and as fast as you can. I'll-" 

"I would never forgive myself, and neither would Alec, if I left you here alone," Aline said. "This is my home, Magnus. And while it stands, I stand to protect it." She reached out to squeeze his arms, steadying his trembling. “Drop the wards, Magnus. Let the fight come to us.” 

Magnus met her eyes and registered the resignation and understanding there. She knew. They all knew. Perhaps better than he did, the way they'd been raised. He turned to look at the southern entrance of the city. He closed his eyes and exhaled, releasing the line of power he'd been sending into the central city node. In an instant, the wards around the city were gone, shattered as though they had never existed, and he could hear the thundering cry of demons approaching. 

He looked to Aline, Helen, and the other shadowhunters who had stayed. He summoned the dual blades to his hand that he had kept ever since the battle at the New York Institute and lifted his chin. "Keep the demons off me if you can," he ordered, his voice quiet, power beginning to lick around him in slow waves. "I'll take care of the Princes." 

He listened to Aline barking orders as he turned. The terrible sound of a horn indicating a charge forward echoed across all of the city and Magnus started to walk towards them, holding onto the blades tightly. Magnus clenched his eyes shut and thought of Alexander, the ceremony for forever that he might be finishing right this moment. His Alexander, who had wanted forever with him, but forever was going to be less than an hour. 

Magnus took another deep breath and felt the weight of power reaching for him, and he heard the shadowhunters shout behind him. 

The second he was about to charge forward, two figures dropped from the sky, large leathery wings spread out behind them. He tightened his hands on the swords and froze, staring at them. The aura of power around them was familiar. He knew it, recognized it, but it didn't feel malicious, and neither of them were turning to attack. In fact, they were facing the approaching armies. 

When one of the wings shifted and he caught sight of Alec, of his Alec, standing in the middle of the road, wings on his back, Magnus took a few steps forward, but then Alec turned and winked at him.  _ Winked. _ Magnus stopped and stared at Alec, before his eyes flicked to the man beside him. Whoever he was, he hadn't turned yet, when all of a sudden, weight grew in the air around him. 

Power in its purest and most condensed form began to dance around the man next to Alec, and Magnus was helpless to do anything but stare. This was a power that no one on this plane had the power to command, and yet here it was, gathering tighter and tighter around this other individual who was putting his hands in his pockets, walking nonchalantly towards the charging army. 

He couldn't resist moving closer, but then the power, the invisible,  _ heavy _ power, exploded into a riot of colors, manifesting brightly, beautifully, blinding them all with the sheer strength of light. There were colors of every shade he had ever seen, and hundreds more he hadn't, all of it tinged in a hint of black and the very air around all of them was frozen, still and unmoving. Magnus could feel the world draw in a breath at whatever this being was about to do, and now the attacking armies, Seir and his allies, were close enough to see who this man was; the battlefield became silent, oppressively so.

It was eerie, the weighted silence, all of them frozen in the sight of the... of whatever was in front of them, and Magnus was terrified for Alexander, standing by his side as though he belonged there. He got the sense that words were being exchanged, being spoken to Seir and the other Princes, but then Alexander turned and started to walk toward him, a broad smile on his face. Magnus was helpless to do anything but smile back in the face of that grin, but when he reached out to feel the power within Alec, he blanched, because it was  _ more. _ So much more than it ever could have been at the hands of the demon that Alec summoned. 

Behind Alec, something shifted, changed, and then there was a violently loud sonic boom, echoing around all of them. Just like that, the streets of Alicante were empty. Magnus looked around in shock. The invading armies and the demons were gone, and now the man, the man who had done all of this, was turning and walking towards where Magnus was standing, and Alec was only a few feet from him, grinning and radiating smugness. "Alexander...?" 

"Hey Magnus," Alec said, stepping in even closer to him. He reached out and grinned, pulling his husband close. "Sorry we’re late. Traffic was hell." 

Magnus wanted to laugh, he wanted to ask what the hell had just happened and why Alec was radiating power like he was layered in it, but there were more important things. He reached out and tugged Alec into him, kissing him, hard and desperate. He'd walked to his death only minutes ago, and now here was Alec and everything was okay and they weren't going to die. Alec's hands cupped his face and then slowly slid down to his waist, pulling him even closer, and Magnus got the sense that Alec's wings (wings!) were starting to wrap around them both when there was a very pointed clearing of a throat beside them both. 

Magnus pulled back from the kiss, leaning against Alec for a moment longer before he turned to the man who had saved them all, who seemed to be the demon that Alec was sharing power with. He straightened his spine, about to introduce himself when he noticed the flicker of a glamour over his skin. He frowned, tilted his head and dropped his own glamour, and realized just  _ who _ Alec had tied himself to. 

"And  _ there's _ the recognition I was looking for," Lucifer said, pleased, preening under Magnus’ stare. "It's nice to finally meet you, Magnus, and I must say I'm looking forward to getting to know you and your  _ delicious  _ husband better in the future.” Alec blushed, but Lucifer didn’t so much as slow down, a heavy, embossed business card suddenly glimmering between his fingers. “You simply must stop by my club, Lux, next time you’re in Los Angeles, Maggie darling. City of the Angels, you know," the King of Hell grinned.

Magnus gave himself the briefest of seconds to blink at both the nickname and the idea of Lucifer owning a nightclub. Yet, somehow, it fit the ebullient personality in front of him perfectly. 

"I can also recommend a few locations if you'd like to open up another branch of Pandemonium there since you're going to be visiting regularly," Lucifer continued with a wave of his hand. "Or at least, Alec will, and I am sure that you will be accompanying him, knowing the two of you." 

Magnus blinked again and nodded slowly, glancing at Alec. That seemed to make sense to Alec at least and Magnus relaxed a fraction when Alec's fingers tangled with his. He watched Lucifer look up at the sky and hum. 

"Children, they make such a mess," Lucifer muttered, lifting his hands. With a dramatic snap, the sound echoing all around the city, the wards around Alicante shimmered to life, light blue and radiant once again. He looked downward and knelt to press his hands to the ground, humming as a bright flash of light left his fingers before he stood back up, dusting off his hands. 

"There, that should do it!" Lucifer said, smiling and winking at his grandson. "You did an excellent job, Magnus. No need to reinvent the wheel when it's been so thoroughly designed, after all." 

Alec looked up at the call of his name from Aline and smiled faintly at her. He could see her staring at his wings and saw many of the other Shadowhunters looking at Lucifer beside him. He could deal with them in a minute. 

"Do you need anything else for now?" Alec asked Lucifer, raising his eyebrows. 

"Nope!" Lucifer said, humming as he rocked back on his heels. "I'll be seeing you boys soon, though. Alec, I expect you to keep to your end of the bargain." 

Alec nodded firmly. "Of course," he agreed. 

Magnus watched Lucifer disappear in a faint beat of wings and turned back to Alec, pushing his magic out to wrap around his husband, feeling the demonic blood surging through him that was far more angelic than it was demonic, an odd mix of both that made sense, considering who it was from. Magnus pressed a hand to his face and imagined the look on Oberon's face as his fucking idiotic husband decided to summon the devil to trade blood with. 

"Really?" Magnus snapped, lowering his hand to look at Alec.  _ "Really?!"  _

Alec shrugged and grinned. "Oberon is pissed too. Rightfully so, of course, but we didn't stick around there after everything was done. Worked out for the best too, right?" 

Magnus fought down a laugh that probably sounded much more hysterical than he wanted. "How do you figure that, Alexander?" 

"Well," Alec started. "I got what I wanted. The Princes of Hell are gone, and are going to stay gone this time, because of us-" 

Magnus blinked. "Because of us?" 

Alec waved a hand. "I'll get to that. We've got time now. I'm immortal, with...well. It's mostly demon blood, sorta. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to take a crash course in the politics of ruling Hell, since I just became an Heir, like you." 

"You're..." The implications of what Alec had just said settled on him and Magnus' eyes widened. "You're his heir?!" 

Alec shrugged. "Apparently that's how it worked? So yes. But now, at least, we have a built-in excuse to visit LA whenever we want, because I have to see him at least once a month. Part of my deal." 

Magnus took a deep breath. "Fuck, I need a drink," he breathed, exhaling hard, squeezing Alec's hand. "You're safe? Oberon and Qinemru are alright?" 

"Qinemru is exhausted. Catarina was attending to them," Alec offered. "Oberon was more pissed at who I summoned, I think." 

"With good reason!" Magnus snapped, glaring at Alec. 

Alec shrugged. "I wasn't about to leave you to die, and he was the only one who could stop them. Besides- it worked!" 

"Fuck, I am going to kill you," Magnus breathed before turning to Aline and Helen who were approaching them. "On the bright side," he began, looking around. "Alicante is now safe." 

"And the downside...?" Aline asked, her eyes sliding from Magnus to Alec, who was still standing with large, leathery wings folded against his back. "Is, what, exactly?" 

Alec smiled at Aline. "You just got promoted to my job, since I can't hold it anymore since I'm no longer a Nephilim." He started to grin. "Lucky for me, I think there's a Liaison position that might be perfect for me..." 

Aline stared at him for a few seconds. "Did you...did you  _ plan _ this, Alec Lightwood-Bane?" 

"Well, without the death, almost-destruction of Alicante, and the attacking Hell-Armies?" Alec asked, smiling at her. "Yes, I planned this." 

Aline pinched the bridge of her nose and exhaled, noisily. "I understand my mother so much better now." 

Alec laughed, grinning at her. He tightened his hand on Magnus'. "Everything definitely just got a lot more complicated," he agreed. "But, the city stands, the armies are gone, my marriage just got even more political than before-" 

"Oh fuck," Magnus breathed, groaning as he realized exactly what that meant. Two Heirs. _Wed._ Combined powers. "No wonder he wants you to visit regularly and I'm coming with you." 

Alec grinned at Magnus. "We've got time to get used to it." 

Magnus held up a hand when he could see Aline and Helen bursting with the urge to ask questions. "Alcohol.  _ Please. _ We're going to need so much alcohol." 

Alec lifted Magnus' hands and pressed a kiss to it, summoning Magnus' favorite drink in a quick twirl of his fingers before offering it to him. "Your wish, love, is my command."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm with Magnus. After writing this 8,500 word chapter in pretty much one go, over 5 hours, dear god do I need a drink or 7. 
> 
> But I hope you enjoyed!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Criticisms welcome!
> 
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**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[PODFIC] Magnus Bane: Certified BAMF](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25466482) by [Accal1a](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Accal1a/pseuds/Accal1a)




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